“The sector is a paradox,” observes the report. “Productive but undervalued, conspicuous yet overlooked, and ‘small-scale’ but economically and socially significant.”
Statistics published in the document show that small-scale mining produces about 85% of the world’s gemstones and 20% to 25% of all the gold. It also provides jobs and income for 20 to 30 million of the world’s poorest people and supports the livelihoods of five times that number.
Overall, ASM operations employ 10 times more people than large-scale mining. But they take place in very remote areas, usually involve poor and vulnerable people — including women and children — and are renowned for severe pollution and harsh working conditions.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the workforce in small-scale gold mines in Africa is comprised of 30-50% children under 18 years. Due to the poverty, parents even encourage their children to work in the mines so they can buy food and clothes.
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