The women powering GoodWeave’s mission

Following on from our reports on women in the rug industry in COVER 74, Silvia Mera and Sonny Puryear of GoodWeave report on women making a difference within their organisation

In the weaving communities of India and Nepal, where opportunities for females are often limited, GoodWeave is doing more than certifying rugs—it’s transforming lives through girls’ support groups and education programmes. Our work recognises that gender often adds a layer of vulnerability to the rights-holders we serve. This work is advanced by our intrepid colleagues from the US West Coast to the manufacturing hubs of Panipat and the Kathmandu Valley. This is the first of two articles spotlighting six remarkable women at the heart of GoodWeave’s mission.

Our next article will continue profiling these important contributors to our vital work. Women like Bina, Emily and Shivani are at the forefront of change, advocating for education, empowerment, and ending child labour. Their dedication creates brighter futures for themselves and the rights-holders at the core of our GoodWeave’s mission.

Emily Crain,

Senior Manager, Human Rights and Assurance, San Francisco Bay Area

Emily Crain calls advancing human rights in global supply chains her passion—not only her job. She oversees GoodWeave’s standards and certification work, which underpins the organisation’s assurance that carpets are made without child or forced labour. She works closely with teams in South Asia, providing technical support and delivering specific projects that advance vital issues such as fair wages, child labour remediation, and countering gender discrimination.

Emily’s work reinforces GoodWeave’s commitment to creating supply chains that support—not exploit—vulnerable workers. She says: ‘As a mother, daughter and human rights advocate, I feel incredibly fortunate to pursue this work alongside colleagues, organisations and businesses who share our mission.’

Bina Mishra,

Monitoring Officer, GoodWeave Certification Nepal (GWCN), Kathmandu Valley

For seven years, Bina Mishra has been a monitoring officer, working on child labour identification, remediation and prevention. She conducts three to four unannounced inspections in carpet-weaving worksites daily, covering 35 to 40 kilometres by scooter across the Kathmandu Valley. Many worksites she visits are off the radar of major buyers, and hence where child labour cases are usually found. Bina’s role is to verify whether suppliers adhere to GoodWeave’s requirements and, if child labour is identified, to work closely with employers to cease abuse, put remedial plans in place, and connect the victims to support services. She often encounters resistance and threats from contractors and factory owners.

A sizeable portion of the weaving community in Nepal comes from low-income backgrounds with limited education; many are internal migrants leaving impoverished rural districts. Around 60% are women who endure physically demanding jobs, harassment and discrimination.

‘When I visit carpet worksites, female workers rely on me as someone who listens and helps improve their working conditions by addressing areas of concern with their employers,’ says Bina. ‘Since my youth, I’ve wanted to be a voice for the voiceless.’

Shivani,

Field Facilitator, Haryana District, Panipat, India

Since June 2022, Shivani has been a community facilitator overseeing social programmes in the Jatal Road community in Panipat to ensure that every school-age child can access education instead of becoming a child labourer. Her work reaches 450 families. Many migrants from other states of India come to Panipat to look for weaving work. Many of these families do not have adequate identity documentation, making enrolment in school for their children particularly tricky. Shivani has directly helped 124 children enrol in school, and countless more through raising awareness with parents, monitoring school attendance and building school and teacher capacity.

Coming from a similar community, Shivani is deeply committed to her role. ‘I have seen firsthand how young children, especially girls, are often forced into labour, where they face mistreatment and harassment,’ she explains. ‘In our communities, girls are not educated, leaving them without paths to independence.’ Shivani aims to uplift underprivileged children—especially girls— by helping them secure an education. ‘No child should be trapped in labour. Every child has a right to education and the opportunity to become a responsible, empowered individual,’ she says.