Throughout rudimentary mining operations in Central and Sub-Saharan Africa, children who ought to be engaged in education are instead extracting minerals crucial for electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind energy systems.
With the global imperative to shift from fossil fuels, the need for clean energy minerals is rapidly escalating. However, certain corporations are fulfilling this requirement through unethical supply chains.
It is estimated that children are employed in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which provides of the global supply. In Madagascar, an estimated are involved in mica mining. Children are compelled to work in hazardous conditions and . Worldwide, over a million children are employed in .
While male leaders frequently dominate the mining sector, addressing child labor in mines necessitates incorporating solutions put forth by female workers, caregivers, and local community representatives.
Mineral demand driven by energy security and geopolitical power shifts
Both consumer requirements and objectives for climate mitigation are fueling a swift expansion in the extractive industries that mine these . Lithium production increased by 30% in 2023, and the demand for nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth elements saw growth of 8% or more. Geopolitical pressures to , contributing approximately to the demand for cobalt, graphite, and rare earth minerals between 2020 and 2024, have led the U.S., the E.U., Canada, and various multinational banks to invest in Africa.
When confronted with proof of human rights violations and public criticism, companies often find it easier to with problematic suppliers, thereby depriving local communities of their income. Although certain communities wish to abolish the mining industry entirely, others recognize the potential advantages of regulated mining for fostering local prosperity.
Imaobong Ladip Sanusi, who heads the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation in Nigeria, states, “The mines are natural resources. These mines are necessary, but we do not condone the exploitation of children.”
Listening to the people closest to the problem
The U.S., the E.U., Canada, and other countries importing these minerals are capable of, and actively do, insist upon fair labor standards. Nevertheless, a crucial element for fostering community prosperity involves heeding the perspectives of those directly affected and closest to the issue. A prime example is how numerous women activists have presented more effective strategies for safeguarding children.
Annie Sinaduku Mwange, a Congolese mine owner and activist, emphasized, “It is vital to listen to women because they frequently serve as the main caregivers for children within their communities. They possess an understanding of family structures and the economic difficulties encountered.”
Children are drawn into mining due to desperate families lacking adequate alternatives. The underlying causes of poverty and child labor are diverse, meaning local organizations and activists are frequently best equipped to identify optimal responses from corporate and governmental entities.
In Nigeria, Sanusi’s organization facilitates a network of women who pinpoint instances of child labor and subsequently devise interventions. She notes that “community outreach is frequently a top-down approach” and thus ineffective. Her group, conversely, proposes solutions derived from engaging with parents, religious figures, and other community members.
The Nigerian government is set to launch two significant lithium processing plants this year, supported by Chinese investors. from the earth, however, faces minimal regulation, and unlicensed mines are prevalent.
Women within Sanusi’s organization provide counsel to the government regarding policies genuinely effective in removing children from mines. For instance, school feeding initiatives alleviate the need for families to send their children to mines just to secure a meal for the day. They establish environments where children wishing to discuss their difficult circumstances can be heard, and they organize assistance. Upon discovering a child working in a mine, they seek out a relative capable of supporting the child’s schooling.
Lifting up the whole community lifts children out of mines
In the DRC, Mwange champions women’s empowerment as a method to prevent children from entering mines. In this region, an people rely on artisanal mining for their sustenance, and an estimated . Despite this, women are confined to the least remunerated roles and frequently subjected to sexual harassment.
Mwange recognized that strengthening the position of women miners could alter the prevailing situation. Her network assists women in obtaining the necessary capital and knowledge to buy and operate their own mining ventures. These “mères” bosses, or mother bosses, command deference, establish regulations, and accumulate economic influence. Mwange asserts that women with economic agency are more inclined to enroll their children in school rather than sending them to work in mines.
Anneke Van Woudenberg, executive director of RAID, a corporate watchdog, states that laborers in extensive industrial mines, predominantly male, also endure exploitative environments and require equitable wages to sustain their families. RAID collaborates with CAJJ, a legal aid organization, to assist workers who are in Congolese courts, advocating for fair pay. My organization, The Freedom Fund, backs this locally-driven to combat forced labor. These initiatives yield advantages for individuals across all age groups.
As the global community endeavors to achieve its clean energy objectives, prioritizing the protection of children and insisting on respectable wages and working conditions is essential. While solutions for establishing ethical, reciprocally beneficial supply chains are not universally applicable, one principle holds true: heed the voices of local women and activists, and when mining operates in their communities, invest in those communities.
