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A study examines the contours of power, patriarchy, and child labor in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It documents exploitation of ASM miners by the government, the police, and even at times other mining actors. It reveals the often invisible gendered nature of mining, showing how many vulnerabilities-in terms of work, status, social norms, and sexual abuse and prostitution-fall disproportionately on women and girls. The study proposes a concerted mix of policy reforms aimed the Congolese government (at all scales, including local and national); suppliers and enduser companies for cobalt.
