Sourcing company Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA) joined Business Call to Action in December 2018 with a commitment to create at least 1,500 ethical manufacturing jobs and develop six African-owned apparel factories in Benin and Ghana by improving workplace standards, linking them to international value chains, and investing in staff wellbeing, by 2023.

As outsourcing of manufacturing rises and costs of mass-produced goods such as garments, textiles and furnishings decrease, the risk of unethical and exploitative work practices in factories increases. Many of these factories are staffed by persons in forced labour - the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that over 24 million people are currently victims of forced labour conditions. Women and girls are disproportionately affected.

With this issue gaining focus globally, EAA focuses on catalyzing a more sustainable growth path for the emerging apparel manufacturing industry in Africa, which is slated to grow rapidly. EAA aims to create ethical manufacturing jobs in West Africa while building a model of manufacturing that prioritizes both profit and people. The company’s founders Keren Pybus and Paloma Schackert met with factory owners in Ghana and Benin who were committed to their workers and communities. They decided to partner with these factories to build their capacity to export high-volume orders, increase production efficiency and create secure, safe jobs that empower, rather than detract.

EAA now works with three high potential factories in Benin, and Ghana and aims to double this by 2023. In 2017, the company facilitated US $350,000 in export orders, and will hit nearly $1 million in exports in 2018.

EAA’s business model combines training, order generation, and impact through the expertise of its on-the-ground team of international and local experts. The company works to improve quality and increase efficiency of its partner factories' workforces, while supporting factory managers to meet international standards and implement beyond-compliance programmes for workers. Ethical Apparel also brings in high-volume international orders from brand partners in the US and the UK. As export business grows, partner factories are required to reinvest a portion of profits into workforce well-being – including working towards living wages, healthcare, educational offerings and other benefits chosen by workers. 

Now that Ethical Apparel Africa is a BCtA partner, the company is looking to intensify its activities to create better work environments, stronger industries and more jobs to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5, 8 and 9.
 
About Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA): EAA was founded based on the core belief that all manufacturing can and should be done ethically. In 2015, against the backdrop of rising prices in Asia and industry pressure to find its next manufacturing hub, EAA saw the fundamental advantages West Africa could offer the manufacturing sector: quick shipping times to the US/EU, duty advantages, low cost of living, and labor availability. The business opportunity was clearly there, and the company has now built a model of manufacturing that prioritizes both profit and people. The company plans to create 5,000 high quality manufacturing jobs in West Africa.