One of the motivations behind children engaging in illicit mining in mining towns is the desire to hold grandiose wedding and baby naming rituals.
According to a study done by Solidaridad West Africa, the practice was fueled by religious officials who approved of such young marriages.
The study's findings were revealed in a report that was made public on February 21, 2023. "According to the respondents for this study, religious centers, especially churches, in the mining communities are promoting early marriage in the communities since the teen parents can afford flashy marriages and naming ceremonies for their children," the report stated.
According to Dr. Rita Owusu-Amankwaah, the research's consultant, "these social events make illicit mining operations attractive to teenagers and children in the mining communities." Hence, there is social competition among the mining villages.
Elimination of child labour
Three months have passed since the research was conducted, with participants chosen from citizens and stakeholders in mining villages around the nation.
In order to completely eliminate child labor in the small-scale mining industry, the research was approved in partnership with the Mines Commission.
A framework titled "Child Labour Eradication Framework for the Small-scale Mining Industry" is being established as part of the all-encompassing plan to stop child labor, outlining the roles of all stakeholders and crucial deliverables to combat the epidemic.
Dr. Owusu-Amankwah provided more context for the findings at a validation workshop for the framework by stating that issues with poverty, the economy, and finances The other major factors that contributed to child labor in the mining industry were socio-cultural concerns.
Notwithstanding the physical damage caused by unlawful mining to the land and water supplies, she said that the situation was far worse since children were getting involved in mining.
In addition to the health risks child laborers faced, according to Dr. Owusu-Amankwah, there was an increasing lack of discipline among kids who worked in illicit mining as a result of their early exposure to money.
She reiterated the study's finding that adolescent pregnancies were common in mining towns.
The investigation discovered, among other things, that the degradation of farmlands caused by illicit mining will have long-term effects on food supply and availability.
Rosemary Addico, the program manager in charge of gold at Solidaridad, stated that the framework being built aims to reduce child labor in the mining industry by at least 50% over the course of the next five years.
In order to reduce child labor, she said that the framework will increase communication between the corporate sector, civil society organizations, and government agencies.
Ms. Addico noted that in order to eradicate child labor in the mining industry, multi-stakeholder partnerships were necessary.
The Minerals Commission's Assistant Manager of Industrial Minerals, Kayi Mawufemor, said the initiative to create a framework that would make it easier to stop child labor in the mining industry was a positive step since it would help the commission carry out its duty.
He expressed concern that the practice still persisted despite the International Labour Organization's Convention 182, which designates child labor in mining as the worst type of child labor.
All parties should support the framework that is being built, he added, since it would be used as a strategy to end child labor.
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