Indonesia amplifies women migrant workers’ voices and cross border solidarity for fair recruitment and violence free workplaces

JAKARTA, Indonesia (ILO News) - Indonesia is strengthening the voices and leadership of women migrant workers through a series of cross-border digital capacity-building and dialogues aimed at promoting safe migration, fair recruitment and workplaces free from violence and harassment. The International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN Women, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI/BP2MI), jointly organized a series of hybrid activities under the theme "Strengthening Voices and Cross-Border Solidarity in the Digital Space to Achieve Fair Recruitment and Decent Work Free from Violence Against Women Migrant Workers."

The initiative forms part of global observances for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and International Migrants Day, underscoring Indonesia's commitment to protecting migrant workers' rights and promoting gender-responsive labour migration governance.

Applying a gender lens to digital content is a powerful way to ensure that women's voices, experiences, and perspectives are equitably represented and amplified.

Simrin Singh, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste

Simrin Singh, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, expressed her appreciation for this joint effort to empower women migrant workers, emphasizing that collective voice and cross-border solidarity are essential to transforming migration governance into a system that is fair, transparent, and rights-based. "Applying a gender lens to digital content is a powerful way to ensure that women's voices, experiences, and perspectives are equitably represented and amplified," she stated.

She also noted that the ILO's support is delivered through its PROTECT project, which promotes decent work and reduces vulnerabilities among those at risk by ensuring labour rights and preventing and responding to violence against women and children, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

An online training on developing digital educational content to prevent online migration-related fraud, violence and harassment among Indonesian women migrant workers. 12/2025

Participants are supported to develop ethical, gender-responsive, and evidence-based digital content that promotes safe migration, fair recruitment, human and labour rights and cybersecurity. Five women migrant worker vloggers based in destination countries are producing educational content and leading cross-border dialogues with government officials, former migrant workers and local communities. These dialogues highlight the importance of migrant labour rights, fair recruitment, and the elimination of violence against women migrant workers.

Guaranteeing the right of migrant workers including women and those in the informal economy to organize, bargain collectively, and join trade unions is one of the most powerful ways to prevent exploitation. Where unions are strong, we see lower levels of child labour, trafficking and forced labour. The programmes enhance cross-border collaboration among women migrant workers who serve as vloggers, community organizers and leaders of migrant worker unions across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, while countering harmful stereotypes that perpetuate stigma and discrimination.

One of the dialogue and awareness-raising activities for Indonesian migrant workers held in five districs. 12/2025

The MRCs play a crucial role in preventing exploitative recruitment practices, supporting safe migration pathways, and strengthening local-level protection systems for prospective, current and returning migrant workers.

Sinthia Harkrisnowo, Coordinator of the ILO's PROTECT Project in Indonesia

The dialogue, training and awareness-raising activities are being implemented in five districts - Cirebon in West Java, Lampung Timur in Lampung, Tulungagung in East Java, Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara, and Deli Serdang in North Sumatra - through the Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs). These MRCs provide essential information, services and protection to migrant workers, particularly women, throughout their migration journey, from pre-departure to return. Their work focuses on promoting safe, fair and rights-based migration.

"The ILO has supported the development and establishment of these MRCs together with its partners. The MRCs play a crucial role in preventing exploitative recruitment practices, supporting safe migration pathways, and strengthening local-level protection systems for prospective, current and returning migrant workers," said Sinthia Harkrisnowo, Coordinator of the ILO's PROTECT Project in Indonesia.

A comprehensive series of activities are the following:

• Training Online on Digital Educational Content Development and Safe App Use (13-14 December 2025), equipping 30 migrant worker trade unionists (80 per cent are women) in Indonesia and destination countries with skills to create educational content and use secure digital tools to prevent online fraud, violence and harassment.
• Cross-border workshop (15 December 2025) to co-create ethical, gender-responsive, and evidence-based content promoting safe migration, fair recruitment, human and labour rights, cybersecurity and the prevention of harmful stereotypes.
• Group mentoring (16-17 December 2025) to support content development and prepare participants for cross-border dialogues with government officials, former migrant workers and communities in the five target districts.
• Hybrid local-level awareness-raising, training events and cross-border dialogues (18 December 2025-07 January 2026) organized by MRCs in Cirebon, Tulungagung, Lampung Timur, Deli Serdang and Kupang. More than 150 local government representatives, former migrant workers and community stakeholders engaged directly with women migrant workers in destination countries to strengthen understanding and collaboration on safe migration and fair recruitment.