MY Voice seeks to increase worker voice in social compliance systems, increase access to remedy for forced labor and child labor, and help improve communication and coordination between local actors to better identify, remediate, and prevent cases of forced and child labor within the palm oil and garment industries.
The project will support and further government efforts to reduce forced and child labor by strengthening local systems that can help workers and business thrive together. This includes private sector social compliance systems, independent forced labor and child labor remediation systems, and multi-stakeholder platforms that help ensure broad alignment on core principles and practices.
Project Objectives
Increase advocacy by workers and civil society to address forced labor and/or child labor
Increase worker voice in the implementation of a social compliance system
Increase access to remedies for workers exploited for forced labor and/or child labor
Risks in Malaysian Palm Oil & Garment Industries
Large Migrant Workforce
Estimated 40% of Malaysia’s workforce is made up of migrant workers who lack protections and may be at higher risk for labor abuse.
Risky Recruiting Practices
High recruitment fees, false job representation, withholding of travel documents & lack of union representation for migrant workers.
Population of Stateless Children
Presence of “stateless” children and undocumented children.
Target Areas
The MY Voice project is being implemented mainly in the Sabah and Semenanjung regions of Malaysia, where the palm oil and garment industries are concentrated. The project’s activities will take place here, with project headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Project Timeline
The MY Voice project will be implemented over the course of 4.5 years, from December 2021 to May 2026.
- Year 1 – Landscape Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, Baseline Assessments
- Years 2-3 – Develop resources and tools, conduct training and capacity building, understand and enhance remediation processes
- Years 4-5 – Complete training and capacity building, conduct cross-sector facilitation, Publish resources, Remediation processes fully developed and functioning.
Photo credits: Nafise Motlaq / World Bank (palm oil kernels)
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