Gymboree is Listening: Tell it to Stop Forced, Child Labor in Cotton!

Tim Newman, Campaigns Director, International Labor Rights Forum

Popular children's clothing brand Gymboree has been lagging behind the rest of the garment industry in speaking out against the use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry. As ILRF has reported over the years, the government of Uzbekistan removes hundreds of thousands of children from schools across the country during the harvest season and forces them to pick cotton as part of one of the most egregious state-sponsored examples of exploitation in the world.

The incredible scale of abuse has led many of the world's largest clothing brands and retailers to publicly oppose Uzbekistan's use of forced child labor. Many companies are supporting the call from Uzbek human rights advocates to boycott Uzbek cotton until the government ends its policy of forced child labor.

As a children's clothing brand, Gymboree is well placed to be a leader in ensuring that children are not exploited to produce its garments. However, the company has so far remained unresponsive to pressure from consumers to join its competitors in opposing forced child labor. Despite it's silence in response to questions about its policies on Uzbek cotton, Gymboree does want to hear your opinion... about it's new line of children's clothes. Well, if Gymboree is listening, let's tell it that their clothes would look a lot better if the company publicly opposed forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry and committed to eliminating Uzbek cotton from its supply chain until the government ends this abuse.

It just takes a minute online! Here is what you can do:

1. Go to Gymboree's online survey here and include comments telling Gymboree that their new clothing line would be better if Gymboree would join industry efforts to end forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry;
2. Then leave a comment on Gymboree's Facebook wall with a similar message (you'll have to "like" Gymboree first in order to leave a comment);
3. Send an e-mail to Gymboree here and recruit five friends to join you -- then follow up with a phone call!

The more major companies that stand up against forced child labor, the more pressure will be exerted on the government of Uzbekistan to stop this exploitation. Your actions in the past have lead to L. L. Bean, J. Crew and Abercrombie & Fitch agreeing to join industry efforts to end this abuse. Let's add Gymboree to the list!

Comments

[William G. Gonzalez]

To: Gymboree Corporation,Uzbekistan Republic.
Issue:Forced Child Labor and Exploitation in Cotton Fields.

STOP THE FORCED CHILD LABOR EXPLOITATION IN UZBEKISTAN REPUBLIC.THE CHILDREN OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN DESERVE A DESCENT FUTURE BY GETTING EDUCATION.DO NOT TAKE EDUCATION AWAY FROM THEM!!