Victory! Gymboree Bans Use of Uzbek Cotton

Children's clothing manufacturer Gymboree is the latest company to take a stand against child labor by refusing to buy cotton from Uzbekistan. Their web announcement of the policy change comes after over 3,000 Change.org members sent in letters asking for the company to stop buying Uzbek cotton. This victory is part of an ongoing series of campaigns asking international clothing brands to stop buying cotton from Uzbekistan, where forced child labor is used to harvest the crop.

For years, Uzbek authorities have compelled schoolchildren as young as ten, university students, teachers, medical workers, government personnel, military personnel, and nonworking segments of the population to pick cotton. Every fall, local administrators throughout the country close schools and universities for up to eight weeks and transport students to work in the cotton fields. The majority of students are over the age of 12 years old, but 11-year-olds were not uncommon, and there were isolated reports of some students as young as 10 working in the fields. The government expects teachers and school administrators to participate in the harvest either as supervisors or by picking cotton themselves; schoolteachers often must ensure their students meet production quotas.

These abuses have continued despite international condemnation. However, progress is being made as now over 70 of the world's largest apparel brands and retailers have developed policies banning the use of Uzbek cotton in their products or refusing to buy products made with Uzbek cotton. And now after nearly a year of advocacy from Change.org members, Gymboree will join their ranks. According to the statement on their website, "Gymboree prohibits the use of cotton sourced from Uzbekistan and textiles produced using Uzbekistan cotton because of Uzbekistan's history of forced child labor." It's a move that now puts Gymboree a step ahead of other children's brands, which ironically still use cotton harvested by kids.

Thanks to everyone who supported this campaign. Gymboree's ban puts us one step closer to ending the use of forced child labor in the Uzbek cotton industry for good.

Photo credit: Marc van der Chijs