Child labor watch on Indian carpets removed

Oriana Robertson
September 10, 2010
3: 43 pm

Beginning in the 1980’s and 90’s, abuse in the child labored carpet market took shape in India. Currently, the U.S. Department of Labor has removed them from the watch list of imported items made from child labor due to new policies in the carpet industry. In the last century, child labor in India ranged from, glass blowing, constructing fireworks from scratch, sweat shops, and most often carpet weaving. These children are usually migrant workers from Northern India who work these tedious jobs, which adults refuse to do, to overcome poverty. Cases of missing fingers, bad eyesight, and slow bone development are among many of the cases that go unnoticed. Additionally, many of the children work twelve hour shift in unhygienic factories and with only the minimal food staples necessary to work.

After the numbers of child laborers working in the carpet weaving industry went up, Western nations called for reform. Since the issue has arisen, significant attempts from carpet companies like Goodweave have been put into effect. First the company, once Rugmark, began implementing certificates, called Fair Trade certificates, for carpets that were not made using child labor. Soon after, the government of India itself posed a monitoring system to check for abusive child labor practices.

I have found that there are, however, loopholes in these new practices. Since India has such a large population and economy, it is very well known that there are numerous unregistered, private carpet factories not monitored by the government that still find their way overseas. Surrounding countries whose looms are not monitored for violations dodge these reforms because they are smaller countries compared to India, but have just as many abusive child labor practices. The actual effects of child labor should not be focused on as much as strengthening the economy to alleviate the immense poverty in present-day India so that children do not have to work in these conditions. The educational system could also be improved so as children can focus on gaining their education. These two improvements, among many others, would involve a great deal of change and reform, but would pacify the many human rights violations in India today.


http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/us_removes_indian-made_carpets_from_child_labor_list

http://pangaea.org/street_children/asia/carpet.htm