Our Work
Below is an interactive map of where Transparentem has conducted disclosed investigative projects.
Issues identified on the map do not represent all of Transparentem’s findings in a given location; please select a area to see full details of findings.
More information on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) forced labor indicators can be found here.
Overview
Since our founding in 2015, Transparentem has used our investigative model to reveal environmental and human rights abuses around the globe. Our projects have sparked progress for workers by prompting remediation of pervasive issues in apparel supply chains, including environmental degradation, forced labor, child labor, and other forms of worker exploitation. Through our novel approach to company engagement, our work has resulted in the reimbursement of recruitment-related fees, the return of withheld passports to thousands of migrant workers, expanded access to grievance channels to help workers advocate for themselves, improved living and working conditions, and enhanced company sourcing and human rights policies to improve conditions throughout companies’ supply chains.
Projects to Date
Varied Responses from Companies Implicated in Transparentem’s Third Investigation in Malaysia; More Work to be Done
In late 2019, Transparentem began its third investigation into labor
Hidden Harm: Audit Deception in Apparel Supply Chains and the Urgent Case for Reform
Social audits, whether conducted by buyer representatives, third-party certifiers, or
Investigation Uncovers Abuse of Vulnerable Workers in Tamil Nadu: Companies Initiate Corrective Actions; Broader Industry Improvement Needed
In response to reports of endemic forced labor, child labor,
Transparentem Survey Finds Evidence of Exploitative Labor Practices in Bangladesh Tanneries
In the summer of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic threw
Transparentem Warns About Unofficial Recruitment Fees for Workers in Indonesia
Over seven months interviewing workers at apparel factories in Indonesia,
Investigation Highlights Workplace Issues and Evidence of Audit Deception in Myanmar, Prompts Apparel Company and Supplier Collaboration
Myanmar’s garment industry experienced nearly a decade of dramatic growth
Buyer/Supplier Collaboration Leads to Partial Recruitment Fee Reimbursement for Migrant Workers in Malaysia
In 2019, Transparentem initiated an investigation into hardships faced by
Forced Labor Probe in Malaysia Drives Buyers to Act
Beginning in the spring of 2018, Transparentem provided the results
Investigation of Bangladeshi Leather Industry Speeds Shutdown of One of World’s Ten Most Polluted Places
Transparentem’s initial two-year investigation of leather tanneries in Hazaribagh, Bangladesh,
