Licensing Practices Research Articles

Socio-cultural challenges in collections digital infrastructures

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the accelerations and constraints libraries, archives, museums and heritage organisations (“collections-holding organisations”) face in their role as collection data providers for digital infrastructures. To date, digital infrastructures operate within the cultural heritage domain typically as data aggregation platforms, such as Europeana or Art UK.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with 18 individuals in 8 UK collections-holding organisations and 2 international aggregators.FindingsDiscussions about digital infrastructure development often lay great emphasis on questions and problems that are technical and legal in nature. As important as technical and legal matters are, more latent, yet potent challenges exist too. Though less discussed in the literature, collections-holding organisations' capacity to participate in digital infrastructures is dependent on a complex interplay of funding allocation across the sector, divergent traditions of collection description and disciplinaries’ idiosyncrasies. Accordingly, we call for better social-cultural and trans-sectoral (collections-holding organisations, universities and technological providers) understandings of collection data infrastructure development.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors recommend developing more understanding of the social-cultural aspects (e.g. disciplinary conventions) and their impact on collection data dissemination. More studies on the impact and opportunities of unified collections for different audiences and collections-holding organisations themselves are required too.Practical implicationsSustainable financial investment across the heritage sector is required to address the discrepancies between different organisation types in their capacity to deliver collection data. Smaller organisations play a vital role in diversifying the (digital) historical canon, but they often struggle to digitise collections and bring catalogues online in the first place. In addition, investment in existing infrastructures for collection data dissemination and unification is necessary, instead of creating new platforms, with various levels of uptake and longevity. Ongoing investments in collections curation and high-quality cataloguing are prerequisites for a sustainable heritage sector and collection data infrastructures. Investments in the sustainability of infrastructures are not a replacement for research and vice versa.Social implicationsThe authors recommend establishing networks where collections-holding organisations, technology providers and users can communicate their experiences and needs in an ongoing way and influence policy.Originality/valueTo date, the research focus on developing collection data infrastructures has tended to be on the drive to adopt specific technological solutions and copyright licensing practices. This paper offers a critical and holistic analysis of the dispersed experience of collections-holding organisations in their role as data providers for digital infrastructures. The paper contributes to the emerging understanding of the latent factors that make infrastructural endeavours in the heritage sector complex undertakings.

Enhancing pediatric access to cell and gene therapies.

Increasing numbers of cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are emerging to treat and cure pediatric diseases. However, small market sizes limit the potential return on investment within the traditional biopharmaceutical drug development model, leading to a market failure. In this Perspective, we discuss major factors contributing to this failure, including high manufacturing costs, regulatory challenges, and licensing practices that do not incorporate pediatric development milestones, as well as potential solutions. We propose the creation of a new entity, the Pediatric Advanced Medicines Biotech, to lead late-stage development and commercialize pediatric CGTs outside the traditional biopharmaceutical model in the United States-where organized efforts to solve this problem have been lacking. The Pediatric Advanced Medicines Biotech would partner with the academic ecosystem, manufacture products in academic good manufacturing practice facilities and work closely with regulatory bodies, to ferry CGTs across the drug development 'valley of death' and, ultimately, increase access to lifesaving treatments for children in need.

Health care managers' perspectives on workforce licensing practice in Ethiopia: A qualitative study.

Professional licensing bodies are valuable sources for tracking the health workforce, as many skilled health-care providers require formal training, registration, and licensure. Regulatory activities in Ethiopia were not effectively implemented due to poor follow-up and gaps in skilled human resources, budget, and information technology infrastructure. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences and challenges faced by health care managers in health professionals' licensure practices in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design with a phenomenological approach was employed between March 26 and April 30, 2021, to collect qualitative data. We conducted in-depth interviews with a total of 32 purposively selected health system managers. An interview guide was prepared in English, translated into Amharic, and then pretested. Audio recorded data was transcribed verbatim, translated, and analysed manually by themes and sub-themes. A member check was done to check the credibility of the result. The data revealed four major themes: awareness of licensing practices, enforcement of licensing practices, systems for assuring the quality of licensing practices, and challenges to licensing practices. Lack of awareness among managers about health workforce licensing was reported, especially at lower-level employers. Regulators were clear on the requirements to issue a licence to the health workforce if they are competent in the licensing exam, while human resource managers do not emphasise whether the employees have a licence or not during employment. As a result of this, non-licenced health workers were employed. Health care managers mentioned that they did not know any monitoring tools to solve the issue of working without a licence. Fraudulent academic credentials, shortage of resources (human resources, finance, equipment, and supplies), and weak follow-up and coordination systems were identified as main practice challenges. This study reported a suboptimal health professionals' licensing practice in Ethiopia, which is against the laws and proclamations of the country that state to employ all health workers only with professional licenses. Challenges for health professionals' licensing practice were identified as fraudulent academic credentials, a shortage of resources (HR, finance, equipment, and supplies), and a weak follow-up and coordination system. Further awareness of licensing practices should be created, especially for lower-level employers. Regulators shall establish a reliable digital system to consistently assure the quality of licensing practices. Health care managers must implement mechanisms to regularly monitor the licensing status of their employees and ensure that government requirements are met. Collaboration and regular communication between regulators and employers can improve quality practices.

Comparison of OBGYN postgraduate curricula and assessment methods between Canada and the Netherlands: an auto-ethnographic study.

Although the Dutch and the Canadian postgraduate Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) medical education systems are similar in their foundations [programmatic assessment, competency based, involving CanMED roles and EPAs (entrustable professional activities)] and comparable in healthcare outcome, their program structures and assessment methods considerably differ. We compared both countries' postgraduate educational blueprints and used an auto-ethnographic method to gain insight in the effects of training program structure and assessment methods on how trainees work. The research questions for this study are as follows: what are the differences in program structure and assessment program in Obstetrics and Gynecology postgraduate medical education in the Netherlands and Canada? And how does this impact the advancement to higher competency for the postgraduate trainee? We found four main differences. The first two differences are the duration of training and the number of EPAs defined in the curricula. However, the most significant difference is the way EPAs are entrusted. In Canada, supervision is given regardless of EPA competence, whereas in the Netherlands, being competent means being entrusted, resulting in meaningful and practical independence in the workplace. Another difference is that Canadian OBGYN trainees have to pass a summative written and oral exit examination. This difference in the assessment program is largely explained by cultural and legal aspects of postgraduate training, leading to differences in licensing practice. Despite the fact that programmatic assessment is the foundation for assessment in medical education in both Canada and the Netherlands, the significance of entrustment differs. Trainees struggle to differentiate between formative and summative assessments. The trainees experience both formative and summative forms of assessment as a judgement of their competence and progress. Based on this auto-ethnographic study, the potential for further harmonization of the OBGYN PGME in Canada and the Netherlands remains limited.

Standard Essential Patents: Returning to the Basics on Unwired v Huawei

Abstract Standard essential patents have become an extremely crucial element in developing modern technologies and standardization processes. This article examines the importance of standardization and standard essential patents in developing technologies and their effect on the legal jurisprudential environment. The introduction emphasizes the role of standardization in promoting the adoption of various essential technologies. Additionally, it focuses on the significance of standard essential patents that safeguard the technologies underlying such standards. The discussion delves into a particular legal case involving Unwired Planet’s licensing campaign for standard essential patents in the communication industry, emphasizing the judgments handed down by the UK Supreme Court. The analysis further investigates critical issues involved in the decision, such as jurisdiction over global licensing, non-discrimination under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, and the flexibility of fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory negotiations. The UK Supreme Court’s ruling clarifies maintaining a proper equilibrium between the interests of SEP holders and encouraging fair and reasonable licensing practices.

Inequitable access to relative caregiving: Implications of foster care regulations in Finland, New Zealand, and the United States

Scholars largely agree that placements with relative caregivers are best for children. However, the regulations that jurisdictions apply to determine eligibility for foster care licensure may limit relative caregivers’ access to the benefits of licensure. This analysis considers foster care regulations in three jurisdictions and the effects of policy decisions on eligibility for relative caregivers and placement options for children in out-of-home care. Finland, New Zealand, and Wisconsin all have a stated priority for placement of children with relative caregivers. However, even with a stated priority, the implementation of policies in practice differs by jurisdiction. Finland is adequate in prioritizing child and family well-being but lacks coherence and has regulations that are at high risk of bias. New Zealand’s policies are adequate and coherent, though their highly regulated system is at risk of perpetuating inequity for indigenous populations. Wisconsin regulations are coherent in supporting safety, however, the financial support provided to foster parents is inadequate and the highly regulated standards perpetuate inequity for low-income families and families of color. Findings suggest that the structure of out-of-home care policies and the priorities of the governments who oversee them inform the implementation of policy in practice and differential outcomes experienced by the children and families they are meant to support. Limiting a relative caregiver’s ability to be licensed as a foster parent is a form of social exclusion, reducing their access to available support and limiting child access to relative care. Equitable access to foster care licensure would provide relative caregivers with additional tools to meet the needs of children in their care. Revisions to foster care licensing practices should prioritize placement with relatives by increasing flexibility in non-safety related requirements for relative caregivers in order to provide children with access to culturally appropriate placement options.

Empirical and mechanistic transient fission gas release model for high-burnup LOCA conditions

In response to the nuclear industry desire to extend burnup beyond current licensing practices, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) released a research information letter (RIL) that provides a basis for analyzing fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal (FFRD) in light-water reactors. Of the five elements discussed, the most ambiguous is the significance of transient fission gas (FG) release (FGR) (tFGR) and its effects on fuel performance under loss-of-coolant accident conditions. In fresh fuel, FG migration and eventual release is primarily governed by diffusion-based mechanisms at higher temperatures (>1,000 °C). However, the mechanisms governing FGR changes as burnup increases. More recent research indicates that FGR increases as burnup increases, specifically under temperature transient conditions, and this release occurs at lower temperatures with a new release mechanism. This behavior has been attributed to microcracking in the fuel and is likely related to microstructure embrittlement with the presence of over pressurized FG bubbles. The NRC RIL outlines the complexity of the phenomenon and a need for a deeper understanding to adequately address FFRD for regulatory application. Therefore, this manuscript intends to summarize the publicly available tFGR data and discuss the observed dependencies (e.g., burnup, heating rate, sample geometry, terminal temperature). An empirical model has been developed and benchmarked against recently published experimental data. However, this empirical model is limited to conditions for which fitting data exist and, therefore, a high-level discussion is included to provide a roadmap for atomistically-informed multiscale modeling in conjunction with experimental data collection to develop a mechanistic tFGR model widely applicable to a broad range of nuclear fuel conditions at high burnup.

Criteria for the Selection of 3D Printers for the Purposes of their Implementation in the Activities of Academic Libraries

Printing in 3D in academic libraries has been implemented for over a decade, yet unfortunately, many academic libraries around the world, especially in developing countries, still do not see the need for 3D printers. The purpose of this article is to present a methodology for selecting the most appropriate kind of 3D printers for use in academic libraries. In order to achieve this objective, a review of the literature was undertaken to arrive at a set of criteria for the selection of these 3D printers. During the development of the article, the author used his own experience of working with 3D printing technologies in academic activities. Among the most crucial criteria for the selection of 3D printers are: functionality; usability; realization/interface; availability/distribution method; user manual; licensing practice; documentation; ease of personalization; ease of implementation; price/cost; reliability; opportunities; market penetration; community/support; device manufacturer; error/problem list; target; cross-platform; interoperability; modularity; DIY; safety; environmental awareness; usage/working range; practical application in a given library. The collected data can be of value to academic libraries facing the dilemma of trying to decide if they should implement 3DP and, if so, what criteria to follow for the selection of 3D printers.

Expunging Board of Pharmacy Disciplinary Actions.

Boards of pharmacy have the authority to discipline licensees whose actions fall short of practice standards. Disciplinary action may include license suspension, revocation, practice restrictions, fines and reprimands. Once discipline is levied against a board of pharmacy licensee, it is usually part of the licensee's permanent record. At least four states have created a pathway for individuals to seek expungement of previous disciplinary actions levied by a board of pharmacy. These states have variations on what violations may be expunged and when. Given the evolving approach to the regulation of pharmacists, more states may want to consider expungement pathways in the years ahead.

Ecosistemele silvice din bazinul râului Bîc – oportunități de realizare a practicii de specializare și formare a competențelor profesionale la geografi

The content of this scientific material highlights the role and methodology of organizing specialized practice with geography students. This didactic activity is realized according to the curriculum of the 0532.1 Geography program in several stages: the introductory practice in the first semester and the first specialized practice in the second semester of the first year of studies. Therefore, the second specialized practice is done in the IV semester of the second year, followed by the license practice in the VI semester of the third year of studies. Consolidation of professional skills according to the goals set out in the education plan and in the curriculum of specialized practice is realizing in various institutions active in the field of research, such as the Institute of Ecology and Geography, the State Hydrometeorological Service, the Institute of Seismology and Geology and the Institute of Research and Development Forestry from the Republic of Moldova. The specialized practice at the end of the second year, involves the students in practical activities on the field within the Străseni Forest Bypass in the Bîc river basin, these referring at design, planting and forestry works. Firstly, the students analyze the bibliographic and cartographic materials in laboratory conditions, followed by discussions with the responsible specialists within the institution, as well as training in relation to work safety. The knowledge, skills and competences acquired by the students during the specialty practice period are the foundation they will need for the professional activity in the field of professional training.

ПРАВОВОЙ АНАЛИЗ ПРАКТИКИ ЛИЦЕНЗИРОВАНИЯ ДОБЫЧИ ЭНЕРГОРЕСУРСОВ АРКТИЧЕСКОГО РЕГИОНА РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

The relevance of the presented article will be confirmed by the fact that the extractive sector today occupies an increasingly dominant position for the domestic economy, especially after the adoption by the Russian Federation of the "Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2035". Nevertheless, the management of extractive resources has always been a serious problem for many countries of the world. The article outlines the fundamental principles, policy options and best practices that form the basis of the proposed practice of licensing the extraction of energy resources of the Arctic region of Russia. This analysis should be considered as a starting point, recognizing that the development of a reliable license for sustainable development activities depends on an open and comprehensive approach to filling out its regulatory content. Russia, as a key player in the energy market, is interested in maintaining and increasing the production of hydrocarbons, so the further exploitation of Arctic energy resources is an urgent problem. However, the implementation of oil and gas projects in the Arctic is characterized by a poor impact on the natural environment, which leads to a violation of the ecological balance in the Arctic and affects the stability of its ecosystem, which is one of the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet. The main purpose of this study is to understand how the implementation of oil and gas projects in the Arctic through the licensing system affects the ecosystem, assess the significance of this process and find out what the state and business could do for its successful implementation.

Testing the Bounds of Universities’ Merchandising Rights in Light of Penn State v. Vintage Brand

The district court opinion in Pennsylvania State University v. Vintage Brand (2022) offers new legal insight about how judicial interpretations of trademark law in merchandising cases may be evolving to be much less protective of universities than in the past. Whereas successful legal arguments by universities in past trademark infringement cases have largely shielded universities and given them adequate trademark protection, that legal status quo may be shifting to be less protective of the universities as a result of recent case law, including in the instant case. Because of how the logos and emblems are used on the merchandise, the case suggests there may be an opportunity for unauthorized retailers to be able to use the names and past logos of the university without a license, a legal proposition that would curtail the expansive merchandising rights in sport. This article explores these legal issues through the Penn State case and examines how they may affect university athletics trademark licensing practices going forward if the legal climate shifts in how universities approach protection of their intellectual property.

A shared path to reforming rights retention in Europe

The Stichting IFLA Foundation Programme in partnership with IFLA, LIBER, and SPARC Europe are implementing a three-year Arcadia Foundation-funded programme to reform copyright laws and regulations that enable libraries to significantly improve access to and use of copyrighted works. Knowledge Rights 21 aims to promote change at European, national, and local levels providing valuable examples for the rest of the world. The programme is driving reform in six key areas, including improving rights retention and open licensing policy and practice. 
 Europe has seen a significant growth in activity to establish and advance open access (OA) policies. However, copyright has been the thorn in the side of many authors, funders, and their institutions who wish to publish OA, since publisher policies and processes are no longer fit for purpose. Today, we require the rights to publish, share, adapt, and reuse material for research, educational, or multilingual needs. Governments, funders, and institutions are responding in different ways to counteract publisher deadlock or restrictions as regards rights retention and open licensing. National policies have been set up in France, Spain, and the Netherlands, and umbrella organisations are calling for legislation like LIBER with its Draft Law for the use of publicly funded scholarly publications. 
 Above all, publisher copyright policies often stand in the way of authors complying with today’s funder requirements. A SPARC Europe 2020 study provided insights into copyright policies of 10 large publishers and numerous smaller ones showing disparities between publishers and shining a light on the complexities that authors face when seeking the right to publish OA. Research funders such as the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme and the cOAlition S Rights Retention Strategy require authors to retain publishing rights to enable them to share their work more broadly, open access and openly licensed. Funders are currently developing and implementing their strategies, although more funders will need to introduce policies until publishers change their rights retention policies. However, it is also up to the institution that is closest to the author to set publication policies and ensure publication rights for OA as demonstrated by the Harvard model all those years ago and now by the UK (Edinburgh) or Norway (Tromso). Others are piloting rights retention action, such as at the University of Cambridge. However, more efforts need to be undertaken by institutions to make it easier for their authors to legally publish OA. 
 Knowledge Rights 21 intends to accelerate the uptake of rights retention and open licensing to enable researchers to share their work openly. It will do this by calling for publisher, institutional, and funder policy change and by empowering authors to refuse to cede their intellectual property. This presentation will shed light on some of the good practices learnt so far from publishers, institutions, and funders. 
 Knowledge Rights 21 aims to encourage copyright reform in Europe and set up a strong and activecopyright network of libraries to see it through. The development of grassroot capacity across countries will raise the voice of libraries on copyright and build new alliances with researchers, knowledge advocates, and knowledge service providers to bring a long-lasting change. This presentation will outline how we are building this network and how you can take part in bringing about reform in rights retention and open licensing.

Criminal Records and Licensure in Five Allied Health Professions: Is There Evidence of a Disparate Impact on Historically Marginalized Groups?

In health care, licensing is pervasive. Restrictions on applicants with criminal records may have a disparate impact on historically marginalized groups. There is bipartisan interest in evaluating whether occupational licensing requirements are too strict. The authors analyze how 12 representative states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Texas) respond when people with criminal records apply for a license for five entry-level allied health professions (dental hygienist, occupational therapy assistant, physical therapy assistant, radiologic technologist, and respiratory therapist). With one exception for one allied health profession, all states require their licensing boards to consider past serious criminal convictions. A majority of states require the conviction to be substantially related to the scope of professional duties for it to provide a basis for disqualification. Most states make it difficult for applicants with criminal records to determine whether they may obtain a license. State licensing boards have considerable discretion in handling applicants with a criminal record. The trend is toward fewer restrictions, but more could be done to increase the transparency of state licensing board guidelines, practices, and procedures-particularly in the states that still rely on a "good moral character" test.

Health professionals’ licensing: the practice and its predictors among health professional hiring bodies in Ethiopia

BackgroundEvidence suggests that not all human resource departments have hired their facility staff based on federal licensing standards, with some hiring without an active license. This is common in some, if not all, parts of the country. The paucity of healthcare experts, high turnover rates, employee burnout, and challenges in training and development issues were all key recruiting challenges globally.ObjectiveTo assess the practice of health professionals’ licensing and its predictors among hiring bodies in Ethiopia, March 24/2021–May 23/2021.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in privately and publicly funded health facilities throughout Ethiopia. For each region, a stratified sampling strategy was utilized, followed by a simple random sampling method. Documents from the recruiting bodies for health professionals were reviewed. A pretested structured questionnaire and document review tool were used to extract data confidentially. A descriptive analysis of the basic hiring body characteristics was conducted. Hiring body characteristics were analyzed in bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with best health professionals licensing practice. Data management and analysis were conducted with Epi-Data version 4.4.3.1 and SPSS version 23, respectively.ResultsThe analysis included 365 hiring bodies and 4991 files of health professionals (1581 from private and 3410 from public health organizations). Out of 365 hiring bodies studied, 66.3% practiced health professional licensing. A total of 1645 (33%) of the 4991 professionals whose files were reviewed were found to be working without any professional license at all. Furthermore, about 2733 (55%) have an active professional license, and about 603 (12%) were found to work with an expired license. Being a private facility (adjustedOR = 21.6; 95% CI = 8.85–52.55), obtaining supervision from a higher organ (adjustedOR = 19.7; 95%CI: 2.3–169.1), and conducting an internal audit (adjustedOR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.15–6.34) were predictors of good licensing practice.ConclusionsThe licensing of health practitioners was poorly practiced in Ethiopia as compared to the expected proclamation of the country. A system for detecting fake licenses and controlling revoked licenses does not exist in all regions of the country.

Nuclear waste management in Lithuania and Sweden: responses to contingent historical and political circumstances

ABSTRACT The Baltic Sea region is the site of a considerable number of nuclear power stations. Although predominantly operational, several have been decommissioned and new ones are in the planning stage. The volume of nuclear waste in the region continues to increase, while the development of national nuclear waste programs differs in each country. This article investigates national framings of nuclear waste issues in Lithuania and Sweden in order to understand their articulation in response to particular historical and political circumstances. Following the technopolitical framework, this article engages with the argument that nuclear industry developments create both incentives and constraints for nuclear waste programs that foster various forms of legacies; historical, technological, or political. Firstly, this article sets out the relation between the nuclear industry and nuclear waste issues in each country. Secondly, it reveals how decommissioning policies in both countries streamed nuclear waste programs developed in dissimilar sociopolitical contexts. The final section presents empirical details about constraints and incentives that become visible through analysis of the impact of nuclear policy legacies and continuities on waste regimes, including regulatory, licensing and participation practices, research programs, and technology innovation.

“We Don’t Aspire to Be Netflix”: Understanding Content Acquisition Practices Among Niche Streaming Services

Using the media industry studies approach, this article examines the acquisition strategies and licensing practices employed by three recently launched niche Jewish/Israeli subscription video on-demand (SVOD) services. Drawing on qualitative interviews with executives and publicly available materials, this analysis argues that these services acquire film and television titles through a combination of traditional and innovative licensing arrangements intended to maximize access to Jewish-themed or Israeli-produced content unwanted by better funded platforms. The findings reveal the ways in which access to specific kinds of content is dependent on executives’ ability to leverage preexisting industry-specific professional relationships as they attempt to maximize the value created from limited economic resources. As such, this article offers insights by contextualizing licensing practices being employed by niche SVODs across film and television industries while also highlighting the limitations of using the mainstream/niche binary to understand streaming distribution.

FRAND licensing commitments – Back to first principles

The UK Supreme Court’s judgment in Unwired Planet v Huawei addressed several issues relating to promises to license SEPs on FRAND terms under the ETSI IPR Policy – an English court’s jurisdiction to set worldwide terms for a FRAND license; English courts as a convenient forum; the scope of the non-discrimination obligation; the negotiation process to be followed to be seen as a “willing” licensee or licensor; and the proportionality of a FRAND injunction. The UKSC prefaces its findings on the five issues in dispute with an overview of the goals of the ETSI’s IPR Policy and the realities and commercial practice of SEP licensing. This paper critically reviews that overview and the conclusions drawn from that, in the light of first principles derived from competition law (especially essential facility principles) that underpin the ETSI IPR Policy and should govern interpretation under contract law, and which the UKSC should have analysed. In this light, it discusses the issuance of injunctions, the definition of willing licensor and licensee (including licensing level), the need for an effective proportionality assessment as a fallback, damage awards or rate setting as an alternative to injunctions, the setting of worldwide rates by national courts, and the FR and ND components of FRAND.

Implications of a new licensing framework on the impact assessment of water and sewage systems

A bill pending in the Brazilian Senate may change profoundly the characteristics and practice of environmental licensing in Brazil, including removing the obligation to obtain an environmental license for specific projects, such as those related to water supply and sanitary sewage. This timely bibliographical and documental study aims to analyse the development of specific legislation on environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environmental licensing of these two types of projects and compare them with the changes provided by the proposed Licensing Law. The work uses the identification and analysis of specific rules and legal documents that make up the current regulatory framework for licensing and the changes provided by the bill. The flexibility and exclusion of environmental licensing, without scientific rigour, ignore the importance of this instrument for environmental integration into decision-making. Furthermore, projects could damage the environment without such analysis due to the need to expand water supply and sanitation systems.

Supporting Sustainable Development Goal 5 Gender Equality and Entrepreneurship in the Tanzanite Mine-to-Market

This article analyses how a strategy for Tanzania’s tanzanite gemstone mining sector could foster gender equality in the mine-to-market (M2M) supply chain, whilst enhancing opportunities for female entrepreneurship as part of the country’s sustainable economic development. In the mining industry, the contemporary concept of mapping artisanal and small-scale mining to the UN Sustainable Development Goals is a newer aspect of sustainability. SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. However, while there have been initiatives to support gemstone mining in Tanzania and East Africa, to date, the role of women in the lucrative tanzanite M2M supply chain has been less visible and a missed opportunity. This is a concern, as in 2019, pre-COVID-19 pandemic, gemstone and precious metals accounted for an incredible 33.2% of Tanzania’s total exports. In contrast, in leading mining countries such as Australia and Canada, the participation of women continues to steadily advance, economically empowering the women involved. This article contributes a critical review of Tanzanian mining regulation and licensing practice in a historical and gender equality context. A qualitative research case study showcases artisanal small-scale (ASM) tanzanite gemstone miner and entrepreneur Pili Hussein, with a view to support the formulation of a Tanzanian regional, female-oriented, M2M tanzanite strategy. The developed world experience of increasing levels of gender participation in mining provides evidence of a reduced gender pay gap and enhanced mine safety practice when women are involved. This research finds that increased investment in supporting women to participate in the tanzanite M2M gemstone supply chain positively impacts SDG 5 in the country. Furthermore, given Tanzania’s economic dependence on mining and the exceptional characteristics of rare, single-source tanzanite (a generational gemstones), we conclude that gender equality and female mine-to-market (M2M) entrepreneurship has an undervalued, yet important, role to play in Tanzania’s future socio-economic development.