How We Work To Remove Barriers of Education – Volume 3, Episode 6: GoodWeave

The latest episode of the Circle of Sisterhood’s monthly vlog series is here! In 2013, a Circle of Sisterhood grant of $5,000 supported an initiative in Afghanistan that created meaningful change for both girls and women. The funds were awarded to GoodWeave to support their Weaving Educational Opportunities for Afghan Girls initiative. Watch now to see how this grant helped young girls access education and provided women with safe, fair employment opportunities—ultimately helping to shift societal norms and create lasting impact!

About GoodWeave

Founded in 1994, GoodWeave is a global nonprofit working to end child labor in global supply chains—particularly in the rug industry—through a holistic, market-based approach. Their mission is to stop child labor and provide educational opportunities for children in weaving communities. By partnering with companies and local producers, GoodWeave brings visibility to hidden supply chains and holds industries accountable for fair, legal labor practices.

GoodWeave’s strategy goes beyond simply removing children from exploitative labor; they work to address the systemic issues that allow it to persist. In doing so, they also uplift women by helping them transition into safe jobs once held by children—offering economic empowerment and sustainable employment.

In 2013, the Circle of Sisterhood awarded GoodWeave a $5,000 grant to support their Weaving Educational Opportunities for Afghan Girls initiative. This initiative had two main objectives:

• To locate, enroll, and sponsor educational programs for at least 50 girls in Afghanistan
• To redirect women into those same jobs previously held by children, ensuring they were offered legal, fair, and transparent working conditions

At the time of the grant, GoodWeave had already restored freedom to over 10,000 children and provided educational opportunities to more than 96,000 children across India, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Today, the impact of their work continues to grow—protecting more than 17,000 workers under the GoodWeave standard in 2023 alone.

GoodWeave’s work is transformative because it addresses root causes while also offering tangible, immediate solutions. By enrolling girls in school and empowering women through employment, the organization is creating a ripple effect that improves entire communities and promotes long-term gender equality.

The Circle of Sisterhood is proud to support organizations like GoodWeave that are dismantling barriers and building brighter futures.

Join Us in Removing Barriers

Join us in championing programs that equip all of us to challenge many of the global issues impacting women—poverty, oppression, misogyny, brutality. Ultimately, more and more educated girls will mean stronger and healthier villages, communities, and entire countries. Supporting CofS at any level allows us to come together to make an impact across the world. We are proud of the work we are doing. Thank you for being part of this movement.