Women and Children from Artisanal Mining Communities

This project aims to improve the economic empowerment and well-being of women and children in artisanal mining communities in the Keniéba circle in Mali. Project activities include: 1) creating and structuring local associations and savings groups that will be supporting approximately 1 400 women and 200 men working in the artisanal mines of Keniéba; 2) training approximately 1 400 women and adolescent girls in modern safe and environmentally friendly mining techniques and alternative sectors; 3) establishing four incubation centers for micro small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and support the creation management and formalization of MSMEs by women and adolescent girls; 4) developing and carrying out awareness campaigns on the rights of children and women working in the artisanal mining sector 5) strengthening the capacity of village protection and alert committees to identify and respond to cases of child labor in artisanal mines and support them in the implementation of programs for the reschooling of approximately 480 children between the ages of 8 and 13 including 240 girls; and 6) providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Mines in integrating measures to reduce child labour and promote respect for women's rights into regulatory and legal reforms related to the artisanal mining sector. The project will directly benefit approximately 1 700 women 400 men and over 500 children (at least 50% of whom are girls) involved in the artisanal mining sector in the Keniéba Circle in the Kayes region. The project will indirectly benefit the entire population of women and children in these communities which is approximately 33 300 adult women (18 years and older) and 78 000 children (0-17 years) and their households.

The expected outcomes for this project include: 1) improved and safer economic opportunities for women and adolescent girls in the artisanal mining communities of Keniéba; 2) strengthened social action to reduce child labour and increase gender equality in the artisanal mining sector of Keniéba; and 3) improved supervision of the artisanal mining sector by state and traditional structures including with respect to gender and environmental issues.