USA-ITA is proud to congratulate member company Levi Strauss & Co. for receiving the Freedom House Corporate Leadership Award in recognition of the company’s exemplary and longstanding commitment to workers’ rights and international human rights standards.
Freedom House calls Levi Strauss “the global leader in socially responsible business practices” and in particular notes its supplier code of conduct, which is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization (ILO) core conventions. This code—the first of its kind in the global apparel industry—requires manufacturers to abide by ethical standards with regards to worker rights, child and forced labor, discrimination, and freedom of association. In particular, Levi Strauss & Co. was the first U.S. company to ban the use of Uzbek cotton in response to the country’s use of forced child labor in the cotton harvest.
Levi Strauss & Co. honorees and guests showing off their Levis at the Freedom House Annual Awards Dinner.
Levi Strauss & Co. received the award at the Freedom House Annual Awards Dinner on September 20th at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world. Freedom House promotes democratic political environments, the rule of law, and basic rights such as the freedom of expression, association, and belief, including for minorities and women. Freedom House’s activities include analysis, advocacy, and action. The annual awards dinner honors individuals and companies who promote the Freedom House ideals, and Levi Strauss’ fellow honorees included U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Abdulhadi, Maryam, and Zainab Al-Khawaja, for their efforts to promote freedom and human rights in Bahrain.
Left: USA-ITA Board Member Helga Ying of Levi Strauss & Co. and Amy Leonard, who accepted the award on behalf of Levi Strauss & Co. Right: USA-ITA President Julia K. Hughes, a guest of Levi Strauss & Co. at the dinner.
Levi Strauss & Co. is an active member of USA-ITA, serving on the Board of Directors and active in our advocacy efforts. We congratulate Levi Strauss & Co. and the hard-working team there!