1. We create opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers.
Prokritee mission is to develop the social and economic capacity of poor, rural, disadvantaged women in Bangladesh by creating productive employment opportunities and sustainable linkages to world market. These criteria are written in our policy book. Of every artisan we have updated record with their personal details and the products they supply.
Since automn of 2015 Prokritee is a guaranteed member of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO). This means a lot for us; our buyers can now easily recognise our values and standards and we also are aware of our responsibilities towards the artisans and all the people and steps in the supply chain. This is how we comply to the ten standards of WFTO:
2. We are transparent and accountable.
Prokritee is transparent in its management and commercial relations and accountable to all its stakeholders and respects the sensitivity and confidentiality of commercial information supplied. It ensures appropriate, participatory ways to involve its employees and producers in its decision-making processes. Also, it ensures that relevant information is provided to all its trading partners.
The Executive Director regularly has meetings directly with the artisans to connect to their concerns and questions.
3. We practice fair trade.
Prokritee operates its business with concern for the social, economic and environmental well-being of its producers. It is responsible in meeting its commitments with all its trading partners in a timely manner. The organization maintains long term relationships based on solidarity, trust and mutual respect that contribute to the promotion and growth of Fair Trade. It works cooperatively with the other Fair Trade Organizations in the country and avoids unfair competition and duplicating the designs or patterns of other organizations.
4. We pay fair wages.
Prokritee sets its product prices upon mutually discussions and agreed by all through dialogue and participation with all concerned. It ensures fair pay to the producers. Prokritee wages are the acceptable remuneration by the producers and it takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. In addition, Prokritee concerns about the retirement and health care benefits of the producers and staff.
5. We ensure no child or forced labour.
Prokritee adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national / local law on the employment of children. It ensures that there is no forced labor in its workforce and /or members or home-workers. The organization directly gets involved in producing Fair Trade products by its own producers. There is no scope of forced labor to be used in production and the producer complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national/local law on the employment of children. Prokritee producers work sincerely on the children’s well-being, security, educational requirements.
6. We do not discriminate.
Prokritee does not discriminate in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age. The organization provides opportunities for women and men to develop their skills and actively promotes applications from women for job vacancies and for leadership positions in the organization. The organization takes into account the special health and safety needs of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers. Women fully participate in decisions concerning the use of benefits accruing from the production process. The organization respects the right of all employees to form and join producer management committee (PMC) of their choice and to bargain collectively. The organization ensures that representatives of employees are not subject to discrimination in the workplace.
7. We ensure good working conditions.
Prokritee provides a safe and healthy working environment for the producers and staff. It complies, at a minimum, with national and local laws and ILO conventions on health and safety.Working hours and conditions for employees and producers comply with conditions established by national and local laws and ILO conventions.Prokritee is aware of the health and safety conditions in the producer working at its workshops. It works for raising awareness of health and safety issues and improve health and safety practices in producer groups. Recently, Prokritee installed two Effluent Treatment Plans in two of its paper production workshops and obtained environment certification for the Department of Environment of Bangladesh.
8. We provide capacity training.
Prokritee experts provided a two-day training on product quality control and maintenance system for the artisans of several production units. The trainers used recycled sari blankets as the test case and looked at every step of the production process. The artisans learned how to procure and check the raw materials, cut the edges, and also to patch the weak parts in an invisible way. Washing, labelling and packaging are important parts of the fine-tuning. This training was very helpful to understand process and we plan to repeat the same in all our workshops regularly.
Besides, Prokritee artisans are given on the job training continuously when there are challenges in productions, quality assurance, new designs and developments, and the other requirements
9. We promote fair trade.
Prokritee regularly organizes a craft fair in the name of DhakaCraft Bazaar for all fair trade organizations to promote for Fair Trade in the country. With this Bazaar the small and medium enterprises get a chance to promote their products and get in contact with similar organizations and fair trade consumers.
Since 2011, Prokritee organized nearly twenty such Bazaars in the diplomatic zones in Dhaka city considering that the main customers of this bazaar are expats who live in this area. The average amount of visitors throughout the day is about 50 and we invite 30 to 35 organizations to show and sell their products. Besides, Prokritee actively, participate in celebrating International women day and world fair trade day with all the other fair trade organizations in the country.
10. We respect the environment.
Prokritee artisans feel proud to be able to produce handmade paper from water-hyacinths which causes water ways to be blocked and mosquitoes to be multiplied. With their handmade paper they make Christmas decoration and gift items. Besides, most of materials that Prokritee artisans use are indigenous, recycles, bio-degradable and natural. Artisans use only natural and AZO free dyes when they produce colorful items.
