Project profile — Foundations for Peace in the Artisanal Gold Mining Sector in Burkina Faso

• Burkina Faso (100.00%)

• Conflict Prevention And Resolution, Peace And Security: Civilian peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution (15220) (100.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)

This project aims to enhance the ability of men and women in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Burkina Faso to integrate into the legal gold trade, thereby better contributing to the stability and security of their communities. This project increases the financial autonomy and economic resilience of women and men in artisanal mining communities. It reduces their vulnerability to extortion by those who provide exploitative loans or investments in exchange for gold sales with conditions that are typically wildly unfavourable to miners. The project supports capacity building for authorities, the private sector and civil society, linked to proven techniques to incentivize legal trade, while improving their enforcement strategies to hinder and marginalize the worst offenders of illicit trade. Project activities include: (1) creating savings and loans associations; (2) capacity-building on formalized savings and loans system; (3) developing action plans with authorities and the private sector to incentivize legal and legitimate artisanal gold trading practices; and (4) conducting assessments and building capacity of authorities, the private sector and civil society to counter gold-related crimes with due consideration of gender implications.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion in participating artisanal gold producing communities; (2) enhanced conditions incentivizing responsible artisanal gold mining trade carried out by women and men; and (3) improved enforcement strategies to marginalize worst offenders amongst informal/illicit artisanal gold traders and lenders.

Results achieved as of May 2022 is the participation of 1,359 people (1,186 women and 173 men) in newly created savings and credit associations.

• Proactive disclosure