Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers through Empowerment and Advocacy.

The Migrant Workers Empowerment and Advocacy (MWEA) Project aims to ensure that the rights of women and men migrant workers are protected in Malaysia. The project takes a multi-pronged approach, focusing on the empowerment of Malaysian trade unions and civil society to better support migrant workers in the realization of their rights; empowering women and men migrant workers to realize their rights; and inspiring the Malaysian general public to demonstrate increased support for the rights and welfare of migrant workers. In order to achieve these objectives, the project strengthens the capacity of select trade unions, civil society organizations and migrant associations to deliver services to migrant workers; increases the knowledge of migrant workers regarding their rights; and implements awareness raising and advocacy activities targeting the Malaysian public. In the proposed extension period, there will be focus on wage protection, within the over-all purpose of protecting the rights of women and men migrant workers. Trade unions, civil society organizations (CSOs) and migrant associations will be capacitated to better support migrant workers in calculating and claiming their wages, including handling cross-border claims. Actions will be undertaken empowering women and men migrant workers to organize and claim their due wages. The geographical scope for organizing and the delivery of support services to migrant workers will be extended to Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia. In addition, a new outcome area will be added to strengthen Malaysia’s policy frameworks and mechanisms on wage protection for migrant workers; and to support the implementation of these policies through engagement with employers in the plantation and electronics sectors and those manufacturing rubber gloves. The project will also strengthen and extend on-going actions to take forward the fair recruitment and decent work agenda.

Project symbol

MYS/22/50/USA

Admin unit

RO-Asia and the Pacific

Start date

25/11/2015

End date

31/12/2026

Total allocation

1189951

Total expenditure

Status

Active

1189951

Development Partners

USA, United States Department of Labor, Bureau for International Labor Affairs, Office of Trade and Labor Affairs

Country/Countries

Malaysia

Outcomes

Outcome 6: Protection at work for all