Child labour in mining in India and the DRC : two case studies

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dc.contributor.advisorHattingh, Johannen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRozani, Akhona Somilaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-25T10:57:34Z
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-29T09:23:38Z
dc.date.available2022-02-25T10:57:34Z
dc.date.available2022-04-29T09:23:38Z
dc.date.issued2022-04
dc.descriptionThesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: Child mining is an environmental issue because mining is an environmental issue and children occupy and utilise the environment. As part of the fulfilments of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there has been an international commitment to eradicate child labour by 2025. Children in artisanal small-scale mines (ASM) work up to twelve hours in the mines, without any protective gear, are exposed to high concentrations of radioactive cobalt, susceptible to various health complications; and the lack of access to public healthcare is a further violation of their human rights. Data from the ILO shows that in 2016 more than 40 million people were victims of modern slavery and 152 million children aged 5 to 17 were engaged in child labour. This data informs the research questions that guide the dimensions of my thesis and what I aim to address, and they are firstly, how do the different stakeholders in society, including communities, companies, NGOs, and the state respond to child labour? Secondly, how effective are current policies purporting to address child labour in mining, if at all, and in which respects do they fail (and why)? And finally, what are the gaps in current policies, and what can be done to improve upon them? In order to answer the research questions, peer-reviewed articles and books were consulted as well as journalistic works and reports from activist groups. The industrial revolution in Britain provided a historical context of child labour, as discussed in the Introduction. The review of literature illustrated the inadequacy of the one-size-fits-all model and the moral issues of discounting the value of the poor and disenfranchised, and allocating the rich all the power, a point that will be illustrated by my case studies. Two case studies were conducted, one of child labour in the mining of mica in India (Jharkhand Province), and one of child labour in the mining of cobalt in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic Congo. The DRC has taken notable actions to formalise its artisanal cobalt mines as a way of managing the sector due to the increasing international pressure and Huayou Cobalt, Volkswagen, and Tesla have joined in helping the government ensure “ethical and safer practices” are upheld in the electronics industry. However, the involvement and inclusion of the child miners’ stories and experiences in these responses is still at the foundation phase of creating awareness and providing information. I further argue that theoretical frameworks such as the Jharkhand Sustainable Mica Policy Framework and those discussed in the DRC case study seem to be the closest models of the multi-stakeholder outlook towards ending child mining that I propose. With a global shift to formalising the ASM sector, the question I pose in the final instance is whether 10g of cobalt in my cell phone’s battery, or 15kg in an electric car’s battery is really worth it.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kindermynbou is 'n omgewingskwessie omdat mynbou 'n omgewingskwessie is en kinders die omgewing beset en benut. As deel van die implementering van die Volhoubare Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte (SDG's), is daar 'n internasionale verbintenis om kinderarbeid teen 2025 uit te roei. Kinders in kleinskaalse myne (ASM) werk tot twaalf uur in die myne, sonder enige beskermende toerusting, word blootgestel aan hoë konsentrasies radioaktiewe kobalt, is vatbaar vir verskeie gesondheidskomplikasies; en die gebrek aan toegang tot openbare gesondheidsorg is 'n verdere skending van hul menseregte. Data van die IAO toon dat meer as 40 miljoen mense in 2016 slagoffers van moderne slawerny was en 152 miljoen kinders van 5 tot 17 jaar oud was betrokke by kinderarbeid. Hierdie data onderlê die navorsingsvrae wat die dimensies van my tesis rig, en die doelstellings wat ek beoog om aan te spreek, en dit is eerstens, hoe reageer die verskillende belanghebbendes in die samelewing, insluitend gemeenskappe, maatskappye, NRO's en die staat op kinderarbeid? Tweedens, hoe doeltreffend is huidige beleide wat veronderstel is om kinderarbeid in mynbou aan te spreek, indien enigsins, en in watter opsigte misluk dit (en hoekom)? En laastens, wat is die leemtes in huidige beleide, en wat kan gedoen word om op hulle te verbeter? Ten einde hierdie navorsingsvrae te beantwoord, is eweknie-geëvalueerde artikels en boeke geraadpleeg asook joernalistieke werke en verslae van aktivistegroepe. Die industriële revolusie in Brittanje wat 'n historiese konteks verskaf vir kinderaarbeid word in die Inleiding bespreek. Die literatuuroorsig illustreer die ontoereikendheid van die een-grootte-pas-almal-model, en die morele kwessies dat die waarde van die armes en ontneemdes misken word, en alle mag aan die rykes toegeken word, 'n punt wat deur my bevestig sal word. Twee gevallestudies is uitgevoer, een van kinderarbeid in die ontginning van mika in Indië (Jharkhand Provinsie), en een van kinderarbeid in die myn van kobalt in die Katanga Provinsie van die Demokratiese Republiek van Kongo. Die DRK het in respons op toenemende internasionale druk noemenswaardige aksies geneem om sy bestuur van kleinskalige kobaltmyne te formaliseer, en Huayou Cobalt, Volkswagen en Tesla het bygedra om die regering te help verseker dat "etiese en veiliger praktyke" gehandhaaf word in die elektroniese industrie. Die betrokkenheid en insluiting van die stories en ervarings van kindermynwerkers in hierdie response is egter nog by die grondslagfase van bewustheid skep en inligting verskaf. Ek argumenteer verder dat teoretiese raamwerke soos dié van die Jharkhand Sustainable Mica Policy Framework en dié wat in die DRK-gevallestudie bespreek is, die naaste modelle blyk te wees van die multi-belanghebbendebenadering tot die beëindiging van kindermynbou wat ek voorstel. Met 'n globale verskuiwing na die formalisering van die ASM-sektor, is die vraag wat ek uiteindelik stel of 10 g kobalt in my selfoon se battery, of 15 kg in 'n elektriese motor se battery regtig die moeite werd is.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extentxiii, 114 pages : illustrations, includes annexures
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124636
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subjectChild labor -- Indiaen_ZA
dc.subjectChild labor -- Congo (Democratic Republic)en_ZA
dc.subjectMineral industries -- Congo (Democratic Republic)en_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleChild labour in mining in India and the DRC : two case studiesen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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