Itaituba, 27 January 2023 - From 16 to 27 January, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil, in partnership with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) of the University of Chicago and the Brazilian research institute Papel Social launched, in Itaituba, in the state of Para, the pilot test of the Prevalence Research to Reduce Forced Labour in the Gold Mining Sector, under the Tapajos Project.
The current phase, preceding the main research, aimed at providing proper training for the field coordinators and to conduct preliminary interviews to test how the questions and the methodology of the study were received by the miners in the field. The overall objective of the research is to develop a better understanding of forced labor within the gold mining sector in the state of Pará, Brazil, filling a critical knowledge gap and informing future anti-trafficking efforts. After Santarem, Itaituba is the main medium-sized city in the Tapajos region, gathering approximately 80% of all mining sites in the region.
Over those two weeks, the team visited three out of six cities selected for the main research and completed the 25 interviews. Twelve additional interviews are schedule to occur during the next phase. This exercise was fundamental for the final adjustments of the questionnaire and the study scope.
The insights shared during this period will be incorporated into the research design, setting the foundation for the massive data collection that will start on 6 February.
