Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry
Background: This study describes factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines in rural Tanzania, a pernicious problem despite the country's adoption of laws and regulations intended to curb it. Methods: Employing a phenomenological design, we collected qualitative data using focus g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023016249 |
| _version_ | 1797851760808689664 |
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| author | Emmy Metta Ramadhani Abdul Alison Koler Eveline Geubbels |
| author_facet | Emmy Metta Ramadhani Abdul Alison Koler Eveline Geubbels |
| author_sort | Emmy Metta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: This study describes factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines in rural Tanzania, a pernicious problem despite the country's adoption of laws and regulations intended to curb it. Methods: Employing a phenomenological design, we collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to describe factors promoting children's engagement in small-scale gold mining activities in three districts in Tanzania. Data analysis applied constructs from the ecological system theory. Results: Child labour was reported to be common in the small-scale gold mines and abject household poverty was reported as the main factor pushing children to work in the mines because of their respective households’ inability to provide for their basic needs. Other underlying factors stated included divorce and family disintegration and limited diversification of income-earning activities. The migratory nature of artisanal mining led some miner parents to not prioritize the education of their children. Furthermore, peer pressure and parental influence, especially of mothers, promoted entry into mining or reinforced its continuation. Early socialisation of children as future miners and lack of perspective and societal expectations of other life trajectories contributed to persistent child labour within mining communities. At the government level, the study participants mentioned poor reinforcement of mining regulations as another factor that legitimised child labour in the mines. Conclusion: Since factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines are multifaceted, efforts for its elimination require a multi-layered approach aimed at addressing the root-causes at the micro-, meso-, exo- and macro-level systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:23:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1819fb0fefe74e34bf789b1461d1a7ff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:23:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-1819fb0fefe74e34bf789b1461d1a7ff2023-04-05T08:25:23ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-03-0193e14417Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiryEmmy Metta0Ramadhani Abdul1Alison Koler2Eveline Geubbels3Ifakara Health Institute, Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Department of Behavioural Sciences, Box 65015, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Corresponding author. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Department of Behavioral Sciences, P. o. box 65015, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Ifakara Health Institute, Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaPact Tanzania, 74 Uporoto Street, Box 6373, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaIfakara Health Institute, Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaBackground: This study describes factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines in rural Tanzania, a pernicious problem despite the country's adoption of laws and regulations intended to curb it. Methods: Employing a phenomenological design, we collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to describe factors promoting children's engagement in small-scale gold mining activities in three districts in Tanzania. Data analysis applied constructs from the ecological system theory. Results: Child labour was reported to be common in the small-scale gold mines and abject household poverty was reported as the main factor pushing children to work in the mines because of their respective households’ inability to provide for their basic needs. Other underlying factors stated included divorce and family disintegration and limited diversification of income-earning activities. The migratory nature of artisanal mining led some miner parents to not prioritize the education of their children. Furthermore, peer pressure and parental influence, especially of mothers, promoted entry into mining or reinforced its continuation. Early socialisation of children as future miners and lack of perspective and societal expectations of other life trajectories contributed to persistent child labour within mining communities. At the government level, the study participants mentioned poor reinforcement of mining regulations as another factor that legitimised child labour in the mines. Conclusion: Since factors promoting child labour in small-scale gold mines are multifaceted, efforts for its elimination require a multi-layered approach aimed at addressing the root-causes at the micro-, meso-, exo- and macro-level systems.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023016249Child labourEcological factorsArtisanal gold miningTanzania |
| spellingShingle | Emmy Metta Ramadhani Abdul Alison Koler Eveline Geubbels Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry Heliyon Child labour Ecological factors Artisanal gold mining Tanzania |
| title | Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry |
| title_full | Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry |
| title_fullStr | Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry |
| title_short | Ecological aspects shaping child labour in Tanzania's artisanal and small-scale gold mines: A qualitative inquiry |
| title_sort | ecological aspects shaping child labour in tanzania s artisanal and small scale gold mines a qualitative inquiry |
| topic | Child labour Ecological factors Artisanal gold mining Tanzania |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023016249 |
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