GoodWeave: From Carpet Looms to Classrooms

Photo Credit: GoodWeave

Commitment to Action

GoodWeave: From Carpet Looms to Classrooms

Commitment by

GoodWeave International

In 2013, GoodWeave committed to increasing the global market share of its certified child-labor-free rugs from 4.5 to 6.5 percent by September 2016. Today, an estimated 250,000 children in India and Nepal alone are exploited to make rugs for export to North America and Europe, and at least one-third of carpets bound for these markets are tainted by forced, bonded, or child labor. GoodWeave seeks to reduce the number of child laborers, and those at-risk, through a three-pronged approach that will educate and engage consumers to demand child-labor-free rugs, secure certification partnerships with 30 additional companies licensing and sourcing rugs from high-risk countries, and expand supply chain monitoring and certification activities in India, Nepal, Afghanistan, and potentially China. Through these efforts, GoodWeave will emancipate 1,500 child laborers and reach another 17,000 through prevention strategies - improving outcomes for these children and providing western consumers with carpets whose purchase does not perpetuate modern day slavery.

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Overview

Summary

Commitment

GoodWeave: From Carpet Looms to Classrooms

Launched

2013

Est. Duration

3 years

Estimated Total Value

$8,460,705

Region

Asia, Europe

Countries

AFGHANISTAN, GERMANY, INDIA, NEPAL, UNITED KINGDOM, United States

Commitment by

GoodWeave International

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

Kharma Tube, Restoration Hardware, CG Charitable, Greater Impact Foundation, AG Foundation, Inc., Humanity United, Esprit Holdings Limited, Target Corporation, United States Department of State, U.S. Department of Labor, Company C, UNICEF, Sundance Institute, Dining for Women, Walk Free, Macy's Group, Inc., The Rug Company, The Ford Foundation, Skoll Foundation, Hearst Corporation

Details

APPROACH
GoodWeave commits to raising the global market share of certified child-labor-free rugs from 4.5 to 6.5 percent by September 2016, enabling GoodWeave to protect more children with every uptick in market share. Implementation will focus on five interventions along the supply chain, from consumer demand to prevention:
The centerpiece of the commitment is a consumer awareness campaign to persuade rug buyers and interior designers to demand the GoodWeave label. GoodWeave aims to reach 45 million new consumers by 2016 via advertising, media, trade and designer outreach, in-store promotions, online communications, and video. Complementing this increase in demand, GoodWeave will secure partnerships with 30 companies newly dedicated to sourcing and selling certified rugs. This will increase the number of licensees selling goods through thousands of retail outlets from 120 to 150 by 2016.
On the producers' side, GoodWeave will expand its supply chain monitoring and certification activities in India and Afghanistan, and complete a new market entry strategy for China within the next three years. Importers who join GoodWeave open their supply chains in India, Nepal, and Afghanistan for unannounced inspections following best-in-class protocol. Companies that meet the standard are issued labels that can be traced to the production site. When, during these inspections, children are found working, they are offered counseling, medical treatment, education, and a home. Child Protection policies guide in-country staff on victim assistance. Through this commitment, GoodWeave anticipates emancipating and educating 1,500 child laborers.
By its very existence, GoodWeave deters and prevents unscrupulous producers. GoodWeave also invests in daycare and school sponsorship for at-risk children (supporting 11,000 to date in academic pursuits), workers' health and safety initiatives, and community awareness programs. Through this commitment, 17,052 will be reached via prevention strategies.
Today, GoodWeave is the certification standard tackling modern slavery. It will dedicate its 10-person Washington team, 35 global staff members, 120 licensees, nine media sponsors, and major funders to this commitment.
ACTION PLAN
While the approach presents the full GoodWeave operational system, the action plan zeroes in on three pivotal steps: consumer campaigning to reach 45 million new consumers, business engagement to reach 6.5 percent market share, and supply chain monitoring/certification expansion in India, Afghanistan, and likely China.
Year One (September 2013-September 2014)
Consumer Campaign
- Build and expand media partnerships to secure public service announcements (PSAs) (ongoing)
- Hire Public Relations (PR) firm/consultants to help secure major earned media coverage in targeted home and business publications in North America and Europe, respectively (ongoing)
- Recruit social media strategist to leverage the debut of new consumer-facing video short to be played in retail outlets and showrooms as well as reach audiences virally
Business Engagement
- Increase global market share of certified rugs from 4.5 to 5percent
- Secure partnerships with 10 new companies in North America and Europe
- Establish a presence at premier industry tradeshows (ongoing)
- Develop individualized business case statements for medium to large prospects who are industry influencers (ongoing)
- Hire a new Partnership Engagement Manager to support licensee co-branding, GoodWeave presence at tradeshows, and other sales activities
Supply Chain Monitoring + Certification
- Hire a new inspector to increase Indian supply chain coverage in Rajasthan
- Arrange field visits for carpet company CEOs to GoodWeave programs in Uttar Pradesh (ongoing)
- Conduct a feasibility study for China
- Provide and expand victim assistance commensurate with supply chain coverage expansion (ongoing)
Year Two (October 2014-September 2015)
Consumer Campaign
- Expand media partnerships in Europe (ongoing)
- Establish regional PR office in London
- Launch new global marketing website (ongoing)
Business Engagement
- Increase market share to 5.5 percent in 2015
- Secure 10 new importer licensees
- Hire business development staff at U.S. headquarters
Supply Chain Monitoring
- Build capacity in Afghanistan and open Herat regional office (ongoing)
- Hire new inspector in India (Rajasthan)
- Secure two new partner companies with high import volume from India
- Build infrastructure for China inspections system
Year Three (October 2015 - September 2016)
Consumer Campaign
- Establish regional office in Germany (ongoing)
Business Engagement
- Increase market share to 6.5 percent
- Secure 10 new importer licensees
Supply Chain Monitoring
- Launch pilot audits in China
- Continue Afghan and Indian inspection + monitoring expansion to meet market demand

Background

From the garment factories of Bangladesh to the cocoa fields of the Ivory Coast, there are 215 million child laborers today. That's one out of every seven children around the world. In 2012, the International Labor Organization (ILO) released its estimate that 21 million people exist in states of bonded labor or slavery, a quarter of whom are children.
Despite laws prohibiting child labor, the practice is rampant in Asia's rug industry. An estimated 250,000 children in India and Nepal alone are exploited to make rugs for export to North America and Europe. In recent Congressional testimony Siddharth Kara, author of 'Bonded Labor' and Harvard expert, stated, 'that at least one-third of carpets imported into the U.S. from India and Nepal are tainted by forced labor, child labor, or bonded labor.'
These 'carpet kids' range in age from four to 14, and are trafficked, sold, or otherwise forced to work as many as 18 hours a day. They are subject to malnutrition, impaired vision, deformities from sitting long hours in cramped loom sheds, respiratory diseases from inhaling wool fibers, and wounds from using sharp tools. They are often punished or beaten for not meeting daily weaving quotas. Those working as bonded laborers have no chance to earn their freedom and frequently earn little or no money. This is modern slavery.

Partnership Opportunities

SEEKING:

To transition the remaining "carpet kids" to classrooms, GoodWeave seeks first and foremost implementing partners, specifically rug importers and retailers to join the certification program and ensure their product is made by adults under fair conditions. After business relationships, GoodWeave is eager to find new philanthropic partners who would be interested in underwriting expansion to new regions and sectors. Right now, GoodWeave is assessing the feasibility of opening a new office in China and also replicating its program in India's garment industry. Finally, GoodWeave relies on media sponsors to help reach high-end consumers interested in design and furnishings; this is accomplished largely through donating ad space for the organization's PSA.

Progress Reports

May 2016

GoodWeave has made significant progress towards the Carpet Looms to Classrooms commitment. As of January 2016 the market share goal of 7.5% global share was surpassed with current share close to 9%. This milestone has been reached, because of several accomplishments. At the top of the list is the addition of retail giants Target and Restoration Hardware. Sally Osberg of the Skoll Foundation told PBS NewsHour that these corporate partnerships show "equilibrium change in motion." Other milestones include nearly 25,000 views of the Stand with Sanju video, and 188,000,000 consumers reached with the campaign, including 92 high-profile PSA placements in venues like Dwell, Interior Design, Elle Decoration, American Airlines in-flight magazine and more. Licensees now total 142 companies in 44 countries. Inspection and monitoring operations have expanded significantly in India with the number of production sites inspected doubling in the past 12 months and two new regional offices, (in Delhi and Jaipur) for a total of four. GoodWeave's expanded certification standard launched in January 2016 and increased supply chain coverage reached by more than 46,000 workers and their children. More than 200 children have been directly rescued from the worst forms of exploitation since the beginning of the commitment and several thousand more have been prevented from entry into GoodWeave-inspected supply chains. Programs to educate children have grown in lock-step with the inspection and monitoring coverage, and new programs are in place in India and Afghanistan. In India the child Friendly Community program expanded in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. In Afghanistan, GoodWeave opened a small office in Andkhoy (Faryab Province) in northern Afghanistan and educational programs were expanded there and in Balkh and Kabul Provinces for children of weaving families who are at-risk of becoming child laborers. These include community-based programs, including early childhood education programs, supplemental school classes to round out the three-hour school day, as well as home schooling. In Nepal, GoodWeave continued to expand their daycare and school sponsorship programs for children of weavers. Looking ahead, a feasibility assessment is being conducted in China in conjunction with the China National Textile and Apparel Board.