Chinese Migrant Women Deserve More than a Scholarship from Wal-Mart

This is just another case of Wal-Mart trying to buy out communities by
offering scholarships to migrant women so that they are able to receive a
better education. If Wal-Mart was really
serious about supporting the education of its migrant women factory workers,
why don’t they encourage their suppliers to train women for management level
positions. Of course Wal-Mart would
never do anything so systemic but rather make insulting attempts to make others
think they care about their workers. At
the end of the day, Wal-Mart has just continued to allow blatant worker rights
violations flourish in their Chinese factories and even worse when a problem is
found, then Wal-Mart runs away from the factory. 

If you are as angry as I, consider printing
off some postcards ILRF has produced demanding something better from Wal-Mart
and send it to good ole CEO Lee H. Scott.  ILRF believes that Wal-Mart can significantly
alter their negative impact by recognizing that their take it or leave it
purchasing policies are the real cause of worker demise and until they change
their practices, all the scholarships in the world won’t mean a damn thing. 

You can view the ILRF postcards
at http://laborrights.org/projects/corporate/walmart/postcard.pdf
(grayscale) or http://laborrights.org/projects/corporate/walmart/postcardcolor.pdf
(color).

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Chinese Migrant Women Get Wal-Mart Funding

China CSR

May 16, 2007 @ 7:52 am

Wal-Mart has donated US$255,000 to the Scholarship Program for Chinese Women
Workers, providing educational scholarships for 70 migrant workers in China's Guangdong Province.

"Wal-Mart has a long track record of contributing to the communities
wherever we operate," said Ed Chan , president and CEO, Wal-Mart China.
"While migrant women workers have made great contributions to society,
most lack the opportunity to build a successful career. We are honored to have
this opportunity to provide the much-needed support to the chosen recipients
for their advanced education."

The scholarships were awarded at a ceremony at the Panyu campus of the
Guangdong Women's Professional Technical College.

  This contribution is one of several initiatives supported by Wal-Mart
Ethical Standards Department in collaboration with the Wal-Mart Foundation. The
Wal-Mart Ethical Standards Department launched its International Giving Program
in 2006. The purpose of the IGP is to strengthen the supply chain by empowering
factory workers through education. Although the IGP focuses on factory workers
and their family, other members of the population can also benefit from the
program.

The IGP in collaboration with Wal-Mart Foundation awarded the grant for
"the Scholarship Program for Chinese Women Workers" to Asia
Foundation on July 18, 2006. This scholarship program is the first program of
its kind, sponsoring advanced education for migrant women workers in the heart
of China's
booming manufacturing center, the Pearl River Delta. By focusing on advanced
vocational education, the program should dramatically improve the career
prospects of these women.

According to Wal-Mart, 40 scholarship recipients will study pre-school
education and computer application technology at the GWPTC, while the other 30
recipients will study at other five vocational schools in the Pearl River
Delta.

Courses provided by those colleges and schools include human resource
management, business administration, logistics management, computer science,
foreign languages and economics.

The scholarships will cover tuition fees, course materials and
accommodation. Students in extreme financial need may also apply for cost of
living stipends. In order to qualify for the scholarships, applicants must be: 1) Migrant women workers who have worked for more than a year in Guangdong and who are not registered as permanent
residents of Guangdong
Province; 2) Over 16 years of age, with middle school diplomas or above; 3) Recipients of a monthly income below RMB 800 or an average income per family
member of less than RMB 400 who are unable to afford the overall cost of
education.

The scholarship sponsorship is one of Wal-Mart's many contributions to
communities in China.
Since Wal-Mart's entry into China in 1996, the company has been actively engaged in corporate social
responsibility programs targeting five specific areas: social and economic
sustainability, community development, educational sponsorship, child care, and
disaster relief. To date, Wal-Mart has donated more than RMB 26 million to
corporate social responsibility programs in China and Wal-Mart employees have
contributed more than 130,000 man hours.


URL to article: http://www.chinacsr.com/2007/05/16/1311-chinese-migrant-women-get-wal-mart-funding/

Comments

re: Chinese Migrant Women Deserve More than a Scholarship from W

Interesting that the scholarship targets "recipients of a monthly income below RMB 800 or an average income per family member of less than RMB 400 who are unable to afford the overall cost of education."

This makes Chinese Wal-Mart factory workers excellent candidates, as they have time and again been paid illegally low wages (especially if one distinguishes overtime from the local monthly minimum wage).

If Wal-Mart were to really prioritize the needs of migrant women, it would drastically raise the prices its pays supplier factories.

As noted by Trina, "Of course Wal-Mart would never do anything so systemic."