Goal
To decrease child labour in Democratic Republic of Congo’s artisanal cobalt and copper mining sector by addressing its root causes—specifically women’s insecurity, while strengthening the capacity of the private sector and local authorities to implement due diligence.
The Context
Cobalt is critical to the technology needed for the clean energy transition. Over 70% of cobalt is sourced from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and as demand grows, it’s become a lucrative source of income for artisanal miners.
In local mining communities, families most often rely on women’s income to cover basic needs including rent, food, schooling, and medical expenses. Women have turned to artisanal cobalt mining as it’s the highest earning job, they have cash at the end of every working day, and it requires no investment and little training or skill. However, inequality at mine sites is prevalent and as a result, they struggle to make ends meet.
Children begin to work when families get desperate, leading to a reliance on income from child labour to cover basic needs. Just like for women, mining provides the highest income in the area for children. Some are encouraged by parents, others independently follow in the footsteps of siblings and friends.
With extreme poverty driving child labour in DRC’s artisanal cobalt mining sector, a sustainable solution needs to increase the income of the main breadwinners—women. To do this, we need to increase women’s overall security and ensure they have a voice at the decision-making table as leaders within their community and mine site.
What We Are Doing
IMPACT’s Her Security project aims to decrease child labour in Democratic Republic of Congo’s artisanal cobalt and copper mining sector by addressing its root causes—specifically women’s insecurity. The project seeks to improve the overall well-being of women and youth in artisanal mining communities, while also strengthening capacity of the private sector and local authorities to implement due diligence.
The project will:
1. Improve security for women in ASM communities
- Support and train local women’s groups
- Implement Village Savings and Loans Associations
- Train women on income generating activities
- Train women on human rights, due diligence, and the role of mining services
- Provide women and youth with health education and basic medical care services
2. Increase leadership to tackle child labour and strengthen gender equality in ASM sites
- Lead an awareness campaign targeting child labour and women’s rights in the ASM sector
- Train women on leadership, decision making, and advocacy
- Train women on responsible business conduct in ASM supply chains
3. Support due diligence and transparency in ASM supply chains
- Train economic actors and local authorities on due diligence
- Support local authorities on their role to carry our due diligence, and to monitor and mitigate child labour
- Support economic operators to implement due diligence
This project builds on the first phase of Her Security (2022-2023), which sought to understand how women’s security in DRC’s artisanal cobalt communities affects child labour.
Publication
How Households Depend on Children’s Income: The Case for Improving Women’s Livelihoods to Eliminate Child Labour in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Cobalt Sector
Our latest research paper examines the role of child labour in artisanal cobalt mining and its link to women’s security. Dive into further details on what children’s income goes towards, how children organize their work, and hear from women miners.
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Story
Meet Gloria: Multimedia Campaign on Child Labour in Congo
Gloria* is an artisanal cobalt miner in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt mining has always been a part of her life. But never did she imagine her young children would be working alongside her.
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Analysis Commentary
“No One Has the Right to Judge”: Women’s Voices on Working in DRC’s Cobalt Sector
Cobalt fuels our smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles. Over 70 percent of the world’s cobalt comes from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and it’s estimated that almost a quarter of DRC’s […]
Read More for “No One Has the Right to Judge”: Women’s Voices on Working in DRC’s Cobalt Sector