Humanitarian campaign groups GoodWeave International and the Awaj Foundation have partnered to provide COVID-19 relief aid to Bangladesh’s hard-hit apparel industry workers, and has vowed to conduct in-depth research into the nation’s “hidden supply chains” in order to shed light on any instances of child, forced or bonded labour. “Being part of this ground-breaking multi-sectoral initiative is exciting,” said Nazma Akter, founder and executive director of Awaj Foundation. “Bangladesh’s apparel sector and workers have been devastated by the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global supply chains, and we hope this initiative brings short-term relief from hunger and other life-threatening scenarios to workers, as well as long-term improvements in supply chain transparency and due diligence to provide enhanced protections for informal workers in the post-pandemic world.”
