Through the critical lenses of “modern slavery,” “dispossession,” and “gendering,” this 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 (DRC). There, a veritable mining boom for cobalt is underway, driven by rising global demand for batteries and other modern digital devices needed for future sustainability transitions. Based on extensive and original field research in the DRC—including 23 semi-structured expert interviews with a purposive sample, 48 semi-structured community interviews with ASM miners, traders, and community members, and site visits to 17 artisanal mines, processing centers, and trading depots—this study asks: What power relations does ASM cobalt mining embed? What are its effects on patriarchy and gender relations? Critically, what is the extent and severity of child labor? It documents the exploitation of ASM miners by the government, the police, and even at times other mining actors such as traders or local communities. 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. It lastly reveals sobering patterns of child labor and abuse, again at times by the government or police, but other times by families or mining communities themselves. These factors can at times make cobalt mining a modern form of slavery and a catalyst for social, economic, and even regional dispossession. However, rather than despair, the study also draws from its empirical data to showcase how mining can in selected situations empower. It also proposes a concerted mix of policy reforms aimed the Congolese government (at all scales, including local and national); suppliers and end-user companies for cobalt; and international governments and trading bodies. In doing so, the study humanizes the plight of Congolese cobalt artisanal miners, reveals the power relations associated with the recent mining boom, and also proposes pathways for positive change.

本研究通过“现代奴隶制”，“剥夺”和“性别歧视”的批判性视角，考察了民主刚果共和国手工和小规模开采钴的权力，父权制和童工的轮廓。刚果（DRC）。由于全球对电池和其他未来可持续性转型所需的其他现代数字设备的需求不断增加，钴的采矿业正在蓬勃发展。基于对DRC的广泛而原始的现场研究，包括23个具有目的性样本的半结构化专家访谈，48个与ASM矿工，商人和社区成员进行的半结构化社区访谈，以及对17个手工矿山，加工中心的实地考察，和贸易仓库—这项研究要求：ASM钴矿开采嵌入了什么权力关系？它对父权制和性别关系有什么影响？至关重要的是，童工的程度和严重程度如何？它记录了政府，警察甚至有时是其他采矿行为者（例如商人或当地社区）对ASM矿工的开采。它揭示了采矿业通常不可见的性别特征，显示出在工作，地位，社会规范以及性虐待和卖淫等方面的脆弱性不成比例地落在妇女和女孩身上。最后，它揭示了童工和虐待行为的清醒模式，有时是政府或警察，有时是家庭或采矿社区本身。这些因素有时会使钴矿开采成为一种现代形式的奴隶制，并成为社会，经济乃至地区剥夺的催化剂。然而，该研究并非绝望，而是从其经验数据中汲取了经验教训，以展示在特定情况下采矿如何能够发挥作用。它还提出了针对刚果政府（包括地方和国家在内的所有规模）的政策改革的协调组合；钴的供应商和最终用户公司；以及国际政府和贸易机构。通过这样做，该研究使刚果钴手工采矿者的困境变得人性化，揭示了与最近采矿繁荣相关的权力关系，并提出了积极变革的途径。以及国际政府和贸易机构。通过这样做，该研究使刚果钴手工采矿者的困境变得人性化，揭示了与最近采矿繁荣相关的权力关系，并提出了积极变革的途径。以及国际政府和贸易机构。通过这样做，该研究使刚果钴手工采矿者的困境变得人性化，揭示了与最近采矿繁荣相关的权力关系，并提出了积极变革的途径。