Will Gymboree's New Owner Ignore Profits from Forced Child Labor?

One of 2010's Human Trafficking Zeroes was children's clothing store Gymboree, named as such for failing to join the top global clothing companies in opposing the widespread use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry. The popular retailer was recently acquired by the private investment firm Bain Capital. Will new ownership lead Gymboree to finally break its silence about egregious human rights violations in the cotton industry?

Near the end of 2010, Bain Capital completed its acquisition of Gymboree for an estimated $1.8 billion. The buyout was a precursor to several other high profile acquisitions of major retailers by private equity firms. Gymboree shareholders are currently involved in a lawsuit against the company alleging that the company was sold too cheaply in an unfair process.

Underlying the worth of the company is the workers who produce the children's clothes sold by the company. While Gymboree says "the heart of [its] business is the celebration of childhood," that is exactly what is stolen from the hundreds of thousands of children around the world who are forced to pick cotton. Just weeks after Bain Capital bought Gymboree, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its second List of Goods Produced by Forced Labor or Child Labor. Cotton is the agricultural product that shows up most frequently on the list as it is believed to be tainted by forced and/or child labor in at least 16 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Cotton from Benin, Burkina Faso, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was also included on another list of goods developed by DOL under Executive Order 13126, that must be certified not to be produced by forced or indentured child labor in order to be procured by federal agencies. If a company wants to ensure that forced, child labor is not used in the production of its garments, it must work proactively to trace its cotton. Focusing on Uzbekistan is a good way to start that process.

Uzbekistan is one of the most egregious examples of the use of forced child labor in the cotton industry. As we have documented here on Change.org many times, the government of Uzbekistan removes children from schools across the country during the harvest season and forces them to pick cotton under hazardous conditions. As the DOL's Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor released last month states, "While harvesting cotton, children sometimes lack sufficient food, clean drinking water, and adequate housing. In addition, many are exposed to pesticides and long periods of sustained, repetitive movements that cause injuries." Despite the international condemnation, the government of Uzbekistan continues to refuse to allow an assessment of forced labor in its cotton fields by the International Labor Organization.

A growing number of the largest garment brands and retailers in the world are speaking out against this extreme exploitation and working to end the use of Uzbek cotton in its products until the government ends its practice of forcing children to work in the fields. However, Gymboree still has not joined the rest of the industry in opposing forced child labor in the cotton industry.

Does Bain Capital want to carry this burden of inaction as it takes over Gymboree? The company won't change until consumers around the world make it clear that we will not accept inaction when it comes to the forced labor of children. Please take a moment to contact Gymboree now and spread the word about the Change.org petition.

Photo credit: GTD Aquitaine