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Results for child labor (burkina faso)

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Author: KidsRights

Title: Minors Not Miners. Hazardous Child Labour, with a focus on gold mining in Burkina Faso

Summary: An estimated 115 million children from 5 to 17 years old work in hazardous conditions across the world. Hazardous child labour is classed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as one of the worst forms of child labour. The ILO describes it as "work in dangerous or unhealthy conditions that could result in a child being killed, or injured and/or made ill as a consequence of poor safety and health standards and working arrangements". The ILO estimates that some 22,000 children are killed at work every year. Those who survive can develop health problems later in life due to poor working conditions while their bodies and minds are still growing and developing. They also suffer from the lack of an education, as few manage to attend school when working long hours in harsh conditions. The ILO has set the minimum age for hazardous work at 18, a convention which has been ratified by 166 member countries including Burkina Faso. Poverty is one of the main drivers of hazardous child labour. Families are left with no other choice but to send their children to work. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, suffering from recurring droughts. It was drought which first forced families into gold mining in 1980, and the gold rush spread quickly. Gold has now become Burkina Faso's number one export commodity, and small-scale mining sites are to be found throughout the country, employing children as young as six years old. Small-scale artisanal mining is difficult to monitor or regulate. Small groups or families find a remote site and start digging; it's low-tech and illegal. The smaller the operation, the more likely it is to involve children. Because of their size and agility, they are useful in the narrow tunnels and shafts underground. They're cheap to employ, and don't ask questions or stand up for their rights. Working in hot, cramped goldmines leaves children with serious respiratory conditions, hearing and sight problems, and joint disorders. Exposure to mercury can lead to serious physical and neurological disorders. Temporary mining sites lack sanitation, health services and regular access to clean water. Schools, if accessible at all, are often kilometers away. Malnutrition is common among child miners, along with a host of diseases. Some 3 million children in Burkina Faso remain unregistered from birth, and invisible to the authorities. The country's legal minimum age for hazardous work is 18, and there is a special government directorate for child labour. However, small-scale gold-mining remains prolific and difficult to regulate. UNICEF estimated in 2012 that 20,000 children were working in mines in five of Burkina Faso's 13 regions. Due to the illegitimate feature of small scale mining it is expected to be far more widespread in Burkina Faso society. Immediate action and enhancing the monitoring of children working under hazardous conditions in the gold mines is desperately needed. School education is one of the most powerful tools in the fight against child labour in the mines. Children can learn the skills to lift them out of poverty, while they grow and develop in a safe environment. Globally, the effort needs to be continued to ensure that all children attend school until the minimum age for work. In order to stop children working in hazardous conditions in gold mines, the government of Burkina Faso must increase the number of labour inspectors and ensure continuous support for programmes offering alternatives to children withdrawn from the mines. Economic opportunities for families need to be enhanced, and awareness raised in mining communities about the safety risks and health consequences for children working in gold mines.

Details: Amsterdam: KidsRights Foundation, 2014. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2014 at: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRights%20Report-Minors%20Not%20Miners%20digitaal%20def.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.kidsrights.org/Portals/1/About%20us/KidsRights%20Report-Minors%20Not%20Miners%20digitaal%20def.pdf

Shelf Number: 133035

Keywords:
Child Labor (Burkina Faso)
Child Protection
Mining Industry