Interview with Lotte Hagemeier of The Centre for Child Rights and Business

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what personal journey drew you to The Centre for Child Rights and Business?

My name is Lotte Hagemeier, and I am a Junior Technical Expert at The Centre for Child Rights and Business, a non-profit social enterprise. We help businesses address human rights issues in their supply chains, with a particular focus on children and children’s rights.

My journey wasn't linear. While my Masters in Human Rights and Politics sparked my interest in corporate sustainability, a chance connection with my now-manager in Beijing led to an internship and then a full-time role in Hong Kong. It brought me exactly where I wanted to be—working at the intersection of business and human rights.

The Centre aims to make business "better for children". What does this transformation look like in practice?

A great example is our ‘WeCare’ programme, which we work to implement in our clients’ factories across Asia and Europe. This programme supports suppliers to create workplaces that are family-friendly, offering around 20 different activities to tailor the programme to their needs. A core component is establishing Child-Friendly Spaces. When parents lack childcare, they may bring children to the factory floor, which inadvertently increases the risk of child labour. At the same time, in many instances workers migrate without their children, and this separation weighs heavily on workers and contributes to employee turnover. Child-Friendly Spaces are safe, dedicated areas in or near the factories with trained caregivers where children can stay while their parents work, or it allows migrant families to reunite during school holidays.

The programme can include many other activities, such as Family Day, training for workers on parenting skills, maternity protection support (covering everything from lactation room set up to sexual harassment prevention training) or capacity building for factory management on how to embed the various WeCare modules into their core operations and continue offering the support independently over the long-term. The main aim is to encourage brands to share responsibility with factories to improve worker well-being and by extension reduce the risk of human rights violations.

If you want to learn more, please have a look at this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGVI93EKeig&t=11s

When a company discovers child labour in its supply chain, what is the biggest barrier to an effective response?

The reputational and business risks associated with child labour are high, and this can lead to a delay in the process of remediating child labour cases where different actors are hesitant to step up and take responsibility, which ultimately harms the child.

At The Centre we thoroughly understand these risks and we guide companies by centering the conversation on the child's rights. We aim to successfully remediate child labour cases by reintegrating children into school or vocational training, or granting young workers access to decent work. We emphasise that child labour is a symptom of root causes such as poverty or lack of access to education, and focus on collaborative action, not blame. At the same time, we also strive to train the factory on responsible recruitment so that they can close the gaps that led to child labour in the first place.

Is there a current project you're particularly excited about?

I'm very proud of our Child Rights Action Hubs. Actions Hubs are multistakeholder initiatives designed to address systemic risks, such as child labour, affecting multiple companies in a specific region. We recently opened a new one in Pakistan for the leather and textile sector, a region with a growing need for this work.

The second is our new Learning Lab, which creates training modules based on the real-world experience of our on-the-ground implementers. We’re even creating a ‘Learning Lab for C-suite’ to bridge the knowledge gap with senior management, which is essential for swift action in child labour cases.

What do you believe is the next frontier in child rights and business?

We are always keeping an eye on the developments of legislation, like the EU’s CSDDD and proposed Omnibus, which promote ‘responsible purchasing practices.’ Stable relationships with suppliers, rather than constantly switching for the lowest cost, significantly reduce human rights risks.

Beyond compliance, we're pushing to elevate the ‘S’ in ESG. The environmental focus is important, but we must ask, ‘This product is made from recycled materials, but who is doing the recycling?’ It’s a positive sign that companies are starting to look beyond certificates and into the social conditions behind their products. Through our work, we’re also pushing companies to look beyond their direct suppliers and to tackle issues deeper in the supply chain, as that’s where most human rights violations occur.

As a new member of the Dutch Chamber, what are you hoping to get out of it?

Our company is small and global, so building a network is key. The Dutch Chamber is a fantastic platform to connect with like-minded professionals and businesses across different sectors.

If any members are at any stage of their sustainability journey—just starting due diligence or enhancing policies—I encourage them to reach out. With 15 years of experience working with businesses in their supply chains, over a thousand child labour cases handled, and work in 60 countries, we have a wealth of experience and are here to help. Drop me an email at lotte.hagemeier@childrights-business.org or reach me via LinkedIn!