By Monash University
On 28 February 2025, the Women RISE WISH Project — Thailand, led by the Prorights Foundation, in collaboration with the Women RISE WISH Project — Malaysia, led by Monash University Malaysia alongside the University of Toronto, hosted the “Regional Workshop on “COVID-19 and Its Impacts on the Rights to Health and Work of Female Migrants in ASEAN: Better Protection and Building Resilience”, at The Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok.
As part of the IDRC-funded Women Migrants’ Health and Work After COVID-19 project, the workshop provided a critical platform for evidence-based discussions, finalising recommendations, and fostering regional collaboration to strengthen protections for female migrants.
Key Recommendations:
- Establishment of an inter-sectoral protection mechanism addressing women migrants’ unique vulnerabilities, particularly in crises.
- Enhanced collaboration between the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW), and other ASEAN sectoral bodies to reinforce frameworks safeguarding migrant women’s work and health.
AICHR Malaysia, as the Chair of AICHR 2025, encouraged the research team to make a formal submission of the research findings to AICHR and ACWC that could inform its action plans and develop a case referral mechanism.
With 30 participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand — including representatives from ASEAN bodies, national human rights institutions, research organisations, and civil society — the workshop underscored the importance of cross-border partnerships in shaping gender-transformative policies.
A heartfelt thank you to the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for their invaluable support in making this research and workshop possible.
Strengthening evidence-based policies and regional cooperation is crucial to ensuring the rights, health, and well-being of women migrants in ASEAN. Through continued research, advocacy, and multi-stakeholder engagement, we can drive meaningful, gender-responsive reforms that enhance protections and promote resilience.
