WORKER EMPOWERMENT IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS
WHAT IS WORKER EMPOWERMENT?
AND HOW DO WE BUILD JOB SEEKER AND WORKER POWER?
Empowerment means an increased control and mastery, meaning that people are better able to deal with the forces that affect their lives and have greater capacity to deal with the day-to-day challenges of life without being overwhelmed by them.
For job seekers and workers an important part of becoming empowered is being knowledgeable, understanding their rights and being recognized as decision makers. While our Issara Academy programs support the capacity building of different stakeholders and duty bearers, our Empowerment program aims to build job seeker and worker power through education, training, and worker voice. As part of the program, job seekers and workers across the region receive training on labor rights, leadership skills, behavior change models, and how they as empowered individuals can support others in their communities to also build their capacity and create community power.
Ratanamahal's work in the provinces to promote jobseeker empowerment though education
Returnee workers that join the ambassador's program in Myanmar share their experiences with prospective migrants and provide recommendations about living and working in Thailand
Our partners in Cambodia help promote Golden Dreams 2.0 (Subin Issara for the Khmer version) for jobseekers to be able to access reliable information they need before, during and after the migration process
Ratanamahal's work in the provinces to promote jobseeker empowerment though education
WHY IS EMPOWERMENT CRITICAL TO ETHICAL RECRUITMENT?
The process of ethical recruitment involves a number of actors in different levels starting from jobseekers, to recruitment agencies, to businesses, and then to buyers. Understanding the risks jobseekers can face during the first mile of the process of recruitment and in its efforts to mitigate those risks and generate changes in the behavior, Issara Institute and ILM Action Network partners from local NGOs and trade unions educate jobseekers and returnees about their rights, the do's and don’ts in the countries of destination, and the costs, timeframes, and processes to migrate through legal channels. In addition, by introducing our Golden Dreams smartphone app, migrant workers can access all relevant information they need to migrate and they can request for further assistance if needed. Issara Institute and the ILM Action Network have further created a network of over 500 mobilizers, primarily seasoned returnees and engaged community organizers, across the origin countries of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Nepal.
Educating prospective migrants and linking them directly to registered recruitment agencies and information about costs and processes of recruitment
CSOs partners in Myanmar are helping rural jobseekers know how to find jobs without paying excessive fees to informal brokers
Hearing the views of returned fishermen in Myanmar
Educating prospective migrants and linking them directly to registered recruitment agencies and information about costs and processes of recruitment
