The EFI is proud to receive support from the European Union
EFI is a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.
For the Ethical Fashion Initiative, lifestyle choices impact livelihoods. EFI creates and strengthens social enterprises in emerging economies to connect discerning international brands in fashion, interiors and fine foods with talented local designers, artisans and micro-producers. From Burkina Faso to Haiti, Mali, Afghanistan and beyond, we engage artisans all over the world. We create meaningful work, with fair and decent working conditions, employing traditional skills, such as Maasai beading in Kenya to hand weaving of raw Afghan silk.
Savvy investors, pro-poor champions and mindful consumers find value in a virtuous circle that creates not just premium products, but also stable, dignified work, and creative and resilient women, men and communities.
The EFI is proud to receive support from the European Union.
Operating in;
Our production hubs in Nairobi, Ouagadougu, Kabul and Port au Prince co-ordinate the production of goods. They take care of admin and legal issues, exports, staff training, new product development, as well as liaising with international clients.
Our compliance scheme was developed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of local and international experts, and enables EFI’s production partners to implement decent and fair working conditions and systems, that are compliant with national and international regulations.
The Informal Sector
Dialogue and respect for community values is at the centre of our compliance scheme. The formal and informal sectors, often referred to as the ‘handworker economy’ are not faced with the same labour and traceability challenges. Our scheme has been adapted to the work in the informal sector too, where specific “minimum requirements” are defined in consultation with the heads of artisan groups and fair labour experts. We work with our partners hand in hand, to improve working conditions and raise worker’s living standards in the long term.
The EFI Code of Conduct
Based on the ILO’s conventions and recommendations and the Fair Labour Association’s code of conduct, our code of conduct is extensive, defining fair and decent working conditions and payment of a living wage. This ensures that workers can lift themselves out of poverty through their work. Social workers are embedded in the communities in which we work, and closely monitor the implementation of these standards.
The Living Wage
Our living wage calculation tool is designed to calculate the living wage in the various localities where the EFI works. Legal minimum wages are either non-existent or too low to enable workers to have a decent standard of living. Through giving workers a living wage to cover their basic needs, and those of their dependants, we aim to lift workers out of poverty.
The Wage Ladder
Once we have identified the living wage per region, (living costs and available infrastructure vary from region to region), we develop a wage ladder and work hand in and with our social enterprise partners to close the gap between the living wage and the actual salary of artisans. Wage developments are then monitored via impact assessment.
Impact Assessment
To verify our work and social impact, we collect extensive data to carefully measure the impact of each order.
Before integrating a community into our value chain, we conduct a baseline impact assessment, to have a clear vision of their initial situation.
Order based assessments evaluate each stage of the manufacturing process to track the impact on the communities involved. A Social Impact Report is produced and verified by a third party before sharing with the brand. Brands often use this information in their marketing materials.
Yearly impact assessments are conducted to ensure that the work is positively impacting the lives of the artisans and that our projects are working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
You can explore all of our brands impact assessment reports by clicking here.
Our living wage calculation tool is designed to calculate the living wage in the various localities where the EFI works. Legal minimum wages are either non-existent or too low to enable workers to have a decent standard of living. Through giving workers a living wage to cover their basic needs, and those of their dependants, we aim to lift workers out of poverty.
The Ethical Fashion Initiative works with African designers to promote local fashion talent and develop the industry on the continent.
We showcase the creativity and talent of African Designers, as well as encouraging manufacturing with African artisans, and supporting the development of export capacities.
The Ethical Fashion Initiative’s African Designer programme first launched in 2013 and operated out of Ghana. In Ghana, the Ethical Fashion Initiative has helped set up a garment production centre where quality clothing and accessories can be produced by African artisans, currently known as the PDC.
Design Mentorship
The Design Mentorship programme has helped to put Africa on the global fashion map, through exhibiting African design at top industry events, and mentoring and guidance from industry experts.
Working with international fashion scouts, we have brought designers from the continent to events such as Vogue Fashion Night Out, Pitti l’Uomo, and AltaRoma.
EFI x #HeForShe
The Ethical Fashion Initiative, with a network of thousands of artisans around the world, has joined the #HeForShe movement.
He for She is an invitation for men and people of all genders to stand in solidarity with women to create a united force for a gender equal world.
Our team in Burkina Faso have developed a programme to engage communities, men in particular, in a dialogue on gender equality and traditional gender roles.
Take a look at our International Womens Day Video on the project.
The EFI is proud to receive support from the European Union
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