Fair Labor Association and Stop Child Labour Recommend Creation of ‘Child Labour Free Zone’ and more Responsible and Transparent Supply Chains in Leather and Footwear Production.
WASHINGTON, D.C. /The Hague (18 December 2017 )
A new research study from the Fair Labor Association (FLA), iMentor and the Stop Child Labour Coalition (SCL) confirms the substantial prevalence of child labour in footwear production in the city of Agra, one of India’s primary centers of domestic and export production of leather footwear (around 25% of the Indian export of shoes is being produced in in Agra). The research report ‘Children’s Lives at Stake – Working Together to End Child Labour in Agra Footwear Production´ is being published today.
To reduce the incidence of child labour in Agra, the FLA and SCL propose collaboration in Agra between buyers, suppliers, government, civil society, and communities to establish a “Child Labour Free Zone.” In creating a ´Child Labour Free Zone´, participants focus not on a specific industry sector, but on eliminating all forms of child labour from a specific geographic area, whether children are working to produce footwear, in the tourism industry, or in some other sector. To support this endeavor, the report also includes numerous recommendations for how buyers and suppliers operating in Agra can collaborate to build more responsible and transparent supply chains free from child labour.
Read the full press release here.
Read the condensed report here.
Read the full research report here.
