Why Child Labor Free Products Are Better
Being part of the global B Corporation movement has made us constantly analyse our Corporate Social responsibility and how we can improve ourselves to use business as a force for good; labour laws and transparent supply chains being a huge part of that investigation.
The Problem
A recent report conducted by the British Medical Association stated that the manufacture of disposable gloves is a large global industry that produces in the region of 150 billion pairs of glove per year, with a market value of over USD $5 billion. Disposable gloves are primarily used in the healthcare and food industries, with the leading regions of export to the USA, EU, and Japan.
Factories manufacturing disposable gloves are largely found in Malaysia and Thailand, with a handful of other Asian countries, and are reliant on migrant workers even child labour.
The term “child labour” is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. International Labour Organization (ILO).
UNICEF estimates there are currently 150 million children engaged in child labour worldwide, and more than half are involved in hazardous and harmful circumstances. In the least developed countries, nearly one in four children (ages five to 14) are engaged in labour that is considered detrimental to their health and development. One in four modern-day slaves are under 18 years old. These children grow up without an education and into a life of poverty.
Every child has a right to a childhood. Millions of children worldwide are being denied this right.
Globally What Is Being Done About This?
Child Labor Free have set about creating a global certification system that can assess a brand's supply chain and certify products and manufacturers as child labour free. This provides brands and consumers with a globally recognised mark of certainty. Products certified with the Child Labor Free mark provides assurance that brands carrying that mark are committed to operating ethically and ensuring their business is free of child labour.
What Is Eagle Doing To Be Child Labor Free?
Eagle underwent a rigorous fifteen-month process in pursuit of the Child Labor Free certification mark. We are delighted to have been accredited the Child Labor Free certification to the manufacturing level for a specific range of products. The certification process was a multilayered and holistic process in which third-party assessment partners analysed brand and supplier information through on-site manufacturing inspections and desktop reviews, and evaluated it against a comprehensive risk matrix.
Our suppliers have all signed codes of conduct which include clauses that exclude the use of child and indentured labour. We physically visit our suppliers regularly to ensure they are adhering to the code. Without being prompted we made a conscious decision to support the Child Labor Free organisation. It was important to us that we had third-party verification in behind our own work.
When you purchase a Child Labour Free product from us you are supporting us in maintaining a child labour free workforce in our factories.
Conscious Consumerism
While brands like ours make this journey, ultimately it’s the consumer who decides whether they purchase ethically. It does seem like a burden having to choose products based solely on supplier manufacturing decisions or actions, but the more informed you are as consumers, the more control you will have on how a product is made. It certainly gets easier when better information is made available. The power is in your hands.
