Breakthrough in addressing Worst Forms of Child Labour of mica mines in Jharkhand, India

Approximately 300.000 mica workers depend on mining mica scrap for their survival. The government  will establish a minimum price per kilo which will contribute towards a living income for adult mica miners, so they no longer rely on their children's labour to survive.

Mica program manager Maggie de Jongh-Abebe is very excited about this development: "Terre des Hommes Netherlands places particular emphasis on addressing root causes of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. This includes poverty, lack of social services and the illegal nature of mica mining in Jharkhand and Bihar. This systemic change is the result of years of government engagement. This policy and model will improve conditions for all mica workers and their children in this state."

This is a result of many years of research and government engagement by Terre des Hommes and key partners, most importantly the Responsible Mica Initiative. In 2019 TdH commissioned a study on finding a ´Pragmatic Policy solution for Dhibra Pickers of Jharkhand´. This study explored the possibilities of formalising mica collection comparing different forest based produces from other states of India and engaged the government of Jharkhand. The idea to collect and sell mica scrap through a cooperative model was introduced and potential revenues for the government as a consequence of formalisation were mapped.