Two children aged 5 and 8 pounding mica shows the worst form of child labour/ Image Source: Christine Romo / NBC News

People around the world are just aware that mica is something that makes their products shiny. It is used in cosmetics, paints and electronics. But few people are aware of its production story involving worst form of child labour.

India and Madagascar are the largest exporter of mica sheets worldwide and are often associated with claims that the worst form of child labour is being used to extract mica in a harmful mining process. Poverty is the major reason forcing children to engage in the mining sector and earn supplemental income for their families. Another reason is the unregulated nature of the mining sector which encourages the illegal use of children in mining.

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In Bihar and Jharkhand, two major mica-producing states of India estimated children engagement is 22,000 which is not accurate as numbers are not reported by the mines. 

While in Madagascar, the estimated number of children in mica mining is 10,000 as per the US Department of Labor. Even a research study reveals that children make up almost half of the total labour of the mica industry in Madagascar. 

Vulnerable and innocent children paid only around seventy cents for their whole day’s labour. This shows how unsympathetic and inhumane the system is.

Children are Forced to Jump into Life-Threatening Activities 

The process of mica extraction is very dangerous as children have to undergo narrow and suffocating shafts. Once children go inside they find themselves alone and in complete darkness. These shafts are fragile and can collapse which endangers the life of small children.

An NGO Children in Need Institute (CINI) reported that between 2013 and 2018, 45 children had died in mica mines.

Image Source: JACK PEARCE.

Besides, they constantly work in clouds of dust and inhalation leads to pneumonia and respiratory diseases that shorten their life quality and time.

Even these unregulated and unsystematic mines often do not possess tools and children are forced to use their bare hands for various mining activities that result in cuts, bruises and infections to their hands and other body parts.

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These children are the face of modern slavery, extortion and abuse. Young girls are even sexually exploited in nearby areas of mines as mentioned in a report by the US Department of Labour.

The family lost one of their teenage daughter in a mine collapse

Image Source: JACK PEARCE

These children do not get an education and hence for their whole life they are trapped in a never-ending cycle of abuse, pain and struggle for pennies. Chances of higher formal education and hence better living opportunities remain a dream for them and their families.

Why are Children Engaged in Mining?

1. High levels of unemployment and lack of income-generating activities in the vicinity of mining areas forced the parents to send their children to work in mica mining. It is their source of income for them. They have to eat and they have to survive.

2. Lack of governance and lose regulations assist the employment of children in the mining sector with such impunity.

3. Almost 70% of mica comes from illegal mining hence the mining industry is largely unregulated and unorganised and informal mining often leads to employment and exploitation of small children.

4. Small stature and delicate hands often become valuable for entering narrow shafts and picking up the small pieces of mica. Small children are accompanied by their families. 

This is the classic case where we see how developing countries are facing the resource curse for the demand for such resources by resource-ridden but rich countries.

How to End This Worst Form of Child Abuse.

Even if the mining of mica is banned, it would only add to the atrocities of families and children involved in mica mining. They would not be able to fetch even a handful of food as there is almost no source of income present for them. It is a moral dilemma for all those who are involved in the supply chain of mica from local to a global level.

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The only solution is education for children and alternate livelihood provisions for the families. Authorities can make efforts to educate the families on the long-term hazards and life threats of mica mining. 

Professional training and other skills can be given to the people of nearby areas who are dependent on mica mining. So that they can earn at least a basic income with safety. 

Government can take help from the NGOs who can help establish skill-based small businesses or workshops for the people, especially among the women and girls. So that they can learn skills and trade manufactured goods to cities.

NGOs can help make connections between them and suppliers of their goods.

Likewise, local authorities can make provision for children’s education in nearby areas so that they don’t have to travel to far away locations. This would hugely impact girls as they could gain education due to safety and would not have to undergo an early marriage burden.

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In India, there is a system of Anganwadi (it is a kind of rural child care centre in India.

It consists of a group of women volunteers appointed by the administration to look after the needs of women and children especially food and nutrition needs in rural areas) and compulsory food provision for school children. Authorities can make sure to provide nutritious and consistent food supply to school children so that families do not have to go back to mining for just a handful of food.

So we can say that instead of abolishing mica mining, it is more important to regulate and clean the mica supply chain. Helping families living near mining areas must be given opportunities for better and just livelihood options.

Every consumer has the responsibility to know from where their product’s source mica. They can call, tweet, write and inquire from the beauty brands if they are sourcing the child labour-free mica for their beauty products. Even these simple steps from the consumers can create a buzz among the beauty products suppliers and get them responsible and accountable for a clean mica supply chain and to contribute to the betterment of the community engaged in mica mining.