The women powering GoodWeave’s mission: part 2

In the second part of our feature on GoodWeave’s initiatives to eliminate unethical practice in the rug industry, Silvia Mera and Sonny Puryear profile three more women vital to this invaluable work

In COVER 77, we featured three women driving GoodWeave’s mission through our standards monitoring, workplace inspections and community-based projects. In our new issue, COVER 78, we spotlight three women at the other end of our certification programme—an American rug dealer, an Indian producer, and a Nepalese child labour survivor— who are advancing worker and child protection through their partnership and resilience. The full article can be read below.

Erika Kurtz,

Chief Operating Officer, New Moon Rugs

Erika has been immersed in the world of rugs for as long as she can remember. As the COO of New Moon Rugs, a company founded by her father in Delaware, USA, her connection to the craft runs deep. She grew up watching her father build the business, and she has committed the past two decades to actively shaping its vision and impact.

New Moon’s partnership with GoodWeave is one of its proudest achievements. The company joined GoodWeave’s (then Rugmark) certification programme at its inception in 1995. Erika’s days are as dynamic as New Moon’s designs—selecting colours in the office, inspecting shipments or collaborating with clients. However, for her, work is not just about beautiful rugs but also about creating a more ethical industry. Erika firmly believes in the importance of credible thirdparty oversight to uphold high standards in the rug industry. New Moon relies on GoodWeave’s deep supply-chain monitoring to provide assurance that no children or forced labour are used in the making of its rugs in Nepal. For Erika, partnering with GoodWeave is a small investment with an immeasurable impact.

Maya Syangtan,

Order Processor at Felt and Yarn Pvt. Ltd

Maya Syangtan was born in Ratanpur, a small village in Nepal’s Bara District. Her childhood was defined by severe economic hardship. Her father’s sporadic employment and alcohol fuelled abuse drove her mother to leave the family. The departure of her elder brother and the tragic loss of her younger sibling left Maya to navigate life on her own. Without access to formal schooling, she learned what she could by sitting outside a local preschool while caring for a village child who attended.

At nine years old, Maya was taken to Kathmandu to weave rugs, to repay a financial advance for her father’s medical needs. Five years later, during an unannounced visit, a GoodWeave inspector found her and removed her from the loom. She was placed in Hamro Ghar, GoodWeave’s transit home for rescued children, where she attended non-formal education to prepare for structured schooling. Two years later, she enrolled in the prestigious Laboratory Higher Secondary School, where GoodWeave sponsors Hamro Ghar graduates pursuing further education.

Today, at twenty-one, Maya works as an order processor at Felt and Yarn Pvt. Ltd, a GoodWeavelicensed rug exporter. She manages product checks, maintains records, and processes orders—testament to the confidence she has built. The industry that once exploited her is now earning her an income and providing career opportunities. Her resilience and courage took her where she is today, but she would not have had this opportunity without the long-term, child-centered remediation programme at the core of GoodWeave’s mission.

Maya passionately believes businesses should partner with GoodWeave to eliminate child labour and have supply chains that empower women, support vulnerable families, and earn consumer trust.

Kavita Chaudhary,

Design Director at Jaipur Rugs

Kavita’s journey with Jaipur Rugs (Rajasthan, India) is deeply personal and impactful. As the design director, Kavita joined her family’s legacy business in 2006. For the past eighteen years, she has helped elevate Jaipur Rugs to a global name, blending contemporary aesthetics with traditional craftsmanship while empowering artisans.

Kavita is particularly proud of Manchaha, a globally renowned initiative she conceptualised, where rural artisans in Rajasthan are given complete creative freedom to weave their own stories into rugs. This celebration of individuality has transformed weavers into artists, with some winning prestigious awards. But the impact runs deeper than the rugs themselves. For the women who once wove in silence, Manchaha has become a catalyst for confidence. Now, they walk their village streets with newfound selfworth, their heads held high, their artistry recognised. Every rug tells a story, Kavita says, carrying the blessings and dreams of the artisans who made it. For her, craftsmanship and humanity are deeply intertwined and must be honoured and protected.

This is why, for more than five years, Jaipur Rugs has partnered with GoodWeave to uphold ethical practices and eliminate child labour from its supply chain. This partnership aligns with the vision Kavita’s father set in motion in 1978, when he founded Jaipur Rugs with two looms in Churu, Rajasthan. For Kavita, GoodWeave’s certification is more than a badge—it’s a commitment to human dignity and a socially responsible supply chain.