ISO 26000: Human Rights

Observing
humanrights
The JT Group counts diversity
as one of its great strengths, andactively promotes respect, fairness
and opportunity for all in its workenvironments.

10 | JT Group - CSR Report 2013 | Human Rights

Putting human rights first
The JT Group reinforces the importance ofhuman rights, in all areas of its businessactivities and workplaces. Policies areemployed to ensure that no employee issubjected to discrimination or exploitation,and is treated fairly and appropriately at alltimes.
The Group procures a wide variety of rawmaterials through a complex supply chainthat spans the world. Accordingly, all
suppliers are expected to observe the sanctityof human rights in their business operations.
These standards are set out clearly in the JT
Group’s Responsible Procurement Policy andall business partners are held to the same
stringent standards.
The contracted growers that supply tobacco
to the JT Group are expected to comply
with our Agricultural Labor Practices, which
define standards and give guidance on labor
practices, addressing such issues as childlabor.

Child labor is a complex issue within tobacco
farming. The JT Group makes it clear to thegrowers who supply our tobacco that childlabor is not acceptable. A fundamental partof this approach is to improve the livelihoodsof farmers, their families and communities.
For this reason, the JT Group works withinternational organizations to meet the targetof getting children back into schools andkeeping them there.

People’s rights to express
themselves and workwithout prejudice are
central tenets of the JT
Group’s culture andworking practices.

Human Rights | JT Group - CSR Report 2013 | 11

Partnering to help end child labor
The ARISE programIn February 2012, JTI began a program called
ARISE (Achieving Reduction of Child Laborin Support of Education). The purpose is tohelp eliminate child labor in the communities
where it purchases tobacco leaf. This
program is currently active in Malawi, Zambiaand Brazil.

The JT Group’s commitment to the future of tobacco growers
starts with making sure that children go to school. ‘No Child
Labor’ contracts are reinforced with programs to build schools,
investment in infrastructure to improve community livelihoods
and through a tailored child labor elimination program, ARISE.
By promoting education the JT Group builds an understanding
within the communities where it operates, helping to give children
a good education and widening their paths to a better future.

12 || JTJT Group
Group -- CSR
CSR Report
Report 20132013 | Human Rights| Human rights
12In developing countries the challengesof child labor are significant, and the JT
Group recognizes that it cannot addressthese without collaborative efforts. That
is why the ARISE program partners with
the International Labor Organization (ILO)
and Winrock International. These twoorganizations possess specialized knowledge
in eliminating or reducing child labor, using
experienced teams to develop and monitor
activities taking into account local conditions.
Children who have been removed fromwork as child laborers face considerable
barriers to education because they areoften far behind, having missed out on thefundamentals. ARISE addresses these byproviding educational materials and afterschool tutoring that serve as an enhancement
to formal schooling. The program alsooffers mentoring and access to technicaland vocational training for older children
through Model Farm Schools and vocational
skills courses. Such training ensures thatchildren gain the knowledge and skills
needed to achieve food security and a decent
livelihood within the rural economy. Family
Support Scholarships provide not only
educational materials for children, but also
entrepreneurship training and conditional
capital investments for their mothers orguardians. This encourages them to remove
their children from child labor situations andkeep them in school.
Through the ARISE program, together with
its partners, JTI helps create child labor
alternatives. At the same time, it raises
awareness on this issue in the most affected
communities and increases educationalopportunities for local children.

Putting the program into action

A typical school in the Kaoma district of Zambia, where ARISE was launched this year.

Lucia Kaluzu is a 17 year-old from the village of Kumayani in Lilongwe
District in Malawi. At the age of 16 she dropped out of the sixth grade
because her parents and others told her she was too old for school.
Although Lucia’s parents were too poor to keep her in school, her fatechanged when the ARISE program came to her village.
ARISE established Child Labor Monitoring Committees in each village,to identify children involved in child labor or at risk of entering into
this situation. Lucia was identified as needing support and direction,
and was selected to take part in the program’s Model Farm School,a six-month vocational agricultural training program. She was also
encouraged to re-enroll in school and now attends sixth grade again.
Additionally, she received ARISE materials, including a book bag,uniform, exercise books, pens, soap and other necessities. She spends
three afternoons each week at a Model Farm School and attends theafter-school program two afternoons per week, receiving mentoringand enjoying sports activities.

Making a better future possible
According to Lucia, ARISE changed her life and her perceptions andunderstanding on many issues. She learned that a young woman has aright to an education and that she can learn other skills and become afarmer herself.
In the Model Farm School, Lucia learned to grow crops using modern,safe techniques designed to produce more on a small plot of land.
She wants to finish her education and take up vegetable production
on a larger scale as her main business: “I feel I have to choose a
different path. I see these women struggling everyday to support theirfamilies; their small businesses just cover their immediate needs, butthey cannot save money or invest for their children. I want to takeadvantage of the Model Farm School to get the right farming skills sothat together with my friends we can one day open up a big farm as acooperative.”“I realized that I wasa victim of child labor.
ARISE taught me and myfriends that child labor is
any work that keeps youngpeople out of school. Iwent home and talked to
my parents and, with thesupport of the program’s
mentors, members of theChild Labor Monitoring
Committee as well as myschool teacher and ourvillage chief, I found myself
back in school.”
Lucia Kaluzu

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