India Committee of the Netherlands
+++ In solidarity with the oppressed in India +++


CHILDFRIENDLY SHOES

Childfriendly Shoes - Information
New Report Proposes Strategies for Reducing Child Labour in Agra, India
Fair Labor Association/Stop Child Labour, Dec 19, 2017
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 »
‘CSR by global brands must look beyond tier-1 of leather supply chain in India’
The Hindu Business Line, May 23, 2017
Report India Committee of the Netherlands finds widespread labour, gender, caste discrimination in Agra, Kolkata and Tamil Nadu. »
Report examines grim Bangladesh leather trade, links to West
AP News, Mar 25, 2017
Hazardous, heavily polluting tanneries, with workers as young as 14, supplied leather to companies that make shoes and handbags for a host of Western brands, a nonprofit group that investigates supply chains says. »
Western brands respond to report on Bangladesh tanneries
NZ Herald, Mar 25, 2017
Leather made with child labour and under dangerous, polluted conditions in Bangladesh went to factories that produced goods for major U.S. and European shoe and handbag brands and companies, according to a report released Friday. Here’s a detailed look at their responses. »
Child labourers exposed to toxic chemicals dying before 50, WHO says
The Guardian, Mar 21, 2017
Children as young as eight, working in the tanneries of Bangladesh producing leather that is in demand across Europe and the USA, are exposed to toxic chemical cocktails that are likely to shorten their lives, according to a new report. »
ICN Calls on Major Brands to Address Exploitation in Indian Leather Industry
Sustainable Brands, Mar 20, 2017
The textile and apparel industries are widely known to have considerable environmental and social impacts on both local and global levels. The leather industry is no exception — in India, approximately 2.5 million workers are exposed to poor working conditions that violate their human rights and negatively affect their health.»
Indian leather workers risk health, life to make shoes for global market: report
Thomson Reuters Foundation, Mar 15, 2017
Workers often suffer from fever, skin diseases and cancer as they work with toxic chemicals and rarely have any safety training or protection. In a report, the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), called for greater transparency in supply chains.»
Rights of Indian leather workers systematically violated
press release ICN, Mar 15, 2017
Around 2,5 million workers in the Indian leather industry often face unacceptable working conditions that violate their human rights and seriously affect their health. Toxic chemicals used in tanneries often very negatively impact the health of the workers. »
Skin Deep: Feeding the Global Lust for Leather
Undark Magazine, Feb 21, 2017
Leather processing is big business in Bangladesh, India, and other parts of the developing world, where regulations are lax and poisons run freely. »
India: The Toxic Price of Leather
Pulitzer Center, Feb 4, 2017
"The bubbles which you see are contaminated with chromium, and it is very poisonous." Standing next to a field of wilted crops near his small village of Payundee, Sonalal Yadav carefully hops over a drainage canal, which is overflowing with white foam. An acrid stench fills the air as the water below is churned up and funneled through the small channels onto nearby farmland.... »
Multi-stakeholder meeting on child labour in leather and footwear in Agra, India (16/17 February 2017)
Stop Child Labour, Jan 2017
On 16 - 17 February 2017, The Fair Labor Association, Stop Child Labour Coalition and iMentor are organizing a multi-stakeholder meeting titled Strengthening Children’s Rights and Decent Work in the Agra Leather and Footwear Cluster. »
Walk a Mile In Their Shoes: Workers’ Rights Violations in the Indian Leather and Footwear Industry
Change Your Shoes/Südwind, Aug 2016
This study first gives an overview of the structures, geography and legal framework of the Indian leather and footwear industry then goes on to look at the Indian legislation relevant to labour rights. »
Stitching Our Shoes: Homeworkers in South India
Homeworkers Worldwide/Labour behind the Label/Cividep, Mar 2016
This in-depth report details the role homeworkers play in global supply chains, the effect of gender and caste discrimination on workers, the conditions they work in, and what homeworkers themselves are doing to change things. The report concludes with a series of recommendations for companies and governments. »
Stop Child Labour welcomes positive steps by shoe companies – much remains to be done
Stop Child Labour, Dec 13, 2012
After a slow start a year ago at this moment 27 of the 28 companies have finally engaged with Stop Child Labour and provided information on their policies and practices on combating child labour and their CSR policies more generally. Quite a few companies have informed us that they will take additional steps to prevent and combat child labour and/or be more transparent about this. »
Members of European Parliament raise pertinent questions about tackling child labour in global footwear industry
Stop Child Labour, Jul 26, 2012
MEPs Ria Oomen-Ruijten and Thijs Berman together raised a number of questions to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs as well as the European Commission about child labour in the leather footwear industry. Triggering these questions is the report Where the Shoe Pinches of SOMO made at the request of Stop Child Labour. »
'We want childfriendly shoes!' Child labour in shoe manufacturing
Stop Child Labour, Jun 11, 2012
Shoes produced by children are still for sale in the Netherlands. This is one of the main conclusions of a recent study conducted by SOMO and the Stop Child Labour campaign. The large majority of Dutch shoe companies refused to cooperate with this investigation and did not respond to a questionnaire about what they do to eradicate child labour. »












Childfriendly Shoes - Advocacy
Answers to Parliamentary Questions Voordewind (ChristianUnion)
(subm. Dec 23, 2013) to the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation on the report Working on the Right Shoes
Mar 3, 2014
Answer to Question MEPs Oomen-Ruijten, Berman et al.
(subm. Jan 21, 2013) to the European Commission on child labour and shoe production - follow-up
Mar 14, 2013
Letter Stop Child Labour to footwear companies
Stop Child Labour, Oct 25, 2012
Answer to Question MEPs Oomen-Ruijten, Berman et al.
(subm. Jul 25, 2012) to the European Commission on child labour and shoe production
Sep 12, 2012
Members of European Parliament raise pertinent questions about tackling child labour in global footwear industry
MEPs Ria Oomen-Ruijten and Thijs Berman together raised a number of questions to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs as well as the European Commission about child labour in the leather footwear industry. Triggering these questions is the report Where the Shoe Pinches of SOMO made at the request of Stop child Labour.
Stop Child Labour, Jul 26, 2012