Summary Report of the Carpet Research Project
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In 2007, ICF commenced a three-country research study for OCFT entitled "Research on Children Working in the Carpet Industry of India, Nepal, and Pakistan" (Carpet Project). The project was part of a Cooperative Agreement awarded to ICF Macro to develop creative and innovative research methodologies to gather statistically valid information about the prevalence of child labor and the working conditions of children in the production process of the handmade carpet export industry in India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Unlike previous research that focused on factory-based carpet weaving, the project covered the entire supply chain, including a comprehensive list of wool/silk processing, carpet weaving and finishing activities, in all the settings where these activities take place, including factories and households.
The project researched the prevalence and characteristics of child labor in India, Nepal and Pakistan; migration and trafficking of children from rural areas to the Kathmandu Valley; the impact of labor demands by employers; and the impact of educational interventions on child labor.
The primary goals of the Study were to: 1) increase the knowledge base on the prevalence and nature of child labor in the carpet industry; 2) increase the knowledge base on the demand for child labor in the carpet industry; and 3) develop and pilot-test good practices in the elimination of child labor in the carpet industry.
This report presents an integrated summary of the results from those studies, starting with the results of the Prevalence and Conditions (PC) and Sending Areas (SA) Studies. Further background information, methodological details, and results may be found in the reports for each individual Study.
