End Child Labor in the Cotton Industry!

Uzbekistan is the second largest cotton exporter in the world. Every year, the government of Uzbekistan forces thousands of children and teachers out of the classrooms and into the fields to harvest cotton. They work under harsh conditions, live in crowded barracks and miss out on valuable time in school.

The cotton these children are forced to pick ends up in the clothing we buy. While many companies have agreed to stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan, some are lagging behind.

Please join our efforts today to eradicate the use of forced child labor in Uzbek cotton fields and demand that Abercrombie & Fitch, Fred's, and Gymboree stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan.

*YOUR ACTIONS WORK! We have removed J Crew from this action alert because the company received hundreds of your e-mails and has responded to our request to take a public stance on Uzbek cotton.*

Tell me more

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

I am shocked and concerned to learn that thousands of children are being forced from their classrooms to pick cotton in Uzbekistan. Since the International Labor Rights Forum's initial call to companies in 2008 to stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan, many companies in the clothing industry have made a commitment to do so, but your company has not.

Your lack of action in the case of Uzbek cotton has resulted in the continued use of forced child labor in Uzbekistan.  You can contribute to ending these egregious abuses by joining other brands and retailers within the garment industry that have already been working on the campaign to end forced child labor in Uzbekistan.

I would like to hear from YOUR company specifically that you plan to join the International Labor Rights Forum and the brands and retailers in your industry, who have already made a commitment, in our efforts to end the use of child labor in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan.  You can start by issuing a public statement indicating that your company will not buy cotton from Uzbekistan and that you will notify all of your suppliers of this commitment.

I look forward to you joining our efforts to ensure that no products within the clothing industry are made with forced child labor.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

Customer Service, Abercrombie & Fitch
Michael Hayes, Chairman, Fred's Inc.

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