Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Brick Workers

Brick factories in Pakistan, an hour's drive from the capital Islamabad, are notable for causing environmental pollution, violating children's rights and working conditions that violate human rights. Without any filter, soot and harmful gases from the factory chimneys are released into the air. Even if you spend an hour there, you can feel the soot in the air when you breathe. And these soot and harmful gases are constantly entering the air in the region. In violation of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, children are forced to work in the factory under harsh conditions, and although this is known, no measures are taken. During the time we were filming, we were not allowed to approach where the children were working. However, we were allowed to go to that area once when they took a break. When we first went to the factory, we were told that there were double shifts, 07-13 and 13-19. Because it was thought that I would shoot for a few hours and leave the place. However, during the two days I spent there, I personally witnessed that the workers worked only one shift under very difficult conditions. These enterprises, which not only cause terrible damage to the environment but also have working conditions that violate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, must be urgently inspected and controlled. What we need is a system where people aren't enslaved, and the environment is not destroyed.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2023
Date Uploaded: 09.2023
Photo Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
Camera: ILCE-7RM4
Copyright: © F.Dilek Yurdakul