> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://laxmint.gitbook.io/litepaper/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://laxmint.gitbook.io/litepaper/artisanal-small-scale-gold-mining-asgm-industry-context/social-exploitation.md).

# Social Exploitation

Many artisanal mining communities operate under harsh and unsafe conditions, frequently with insufficient pay, inadequate infrastructure, and limited social support  systems. Human rights violations such as child and forced labour are alarmingly common in many mining areas, further exacerbating poverty and social injustice.\
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Additionally, land grabbing by powerful entities exploiting corrupt and fraudulent documentation practices displaces many small-scale farmers, who lose both their homes and agricultural lands to exploitation by corporations.