MY Voice Project Newsletter

MY Voice Child Rights Action Hub Officially Launches in Malaysia

MY Voice launched the Child Rights Action Hub, the first of its kind in Malaysia, on this World Day Against Child Labour (June 12, 2024). The Action Hub aims to build a community-based, long-term child labour prevention and remediation system in collaboration with local stakeholders. Learn more in the Q&A with our Project Director, Jia Yen Lai.

During the launch, key palm oil industry stakeholders discussed the need for a collaborative approach to address child labour in the sector, including the important role of businesses in addressing child labour. Read about the launch event.

Project Updates

Capacity Building Program with Private Sector

During recent months, MY Voice has initiated customized technical assistance with private sector partners (PSPs) to help them improve and implement effective social compliance systems (SCS). We conducted baseline assessments with a palm oil PSP to evaluate labor performance in the company's operations and supply chain, which provided a benchmark to help the company identify and prioritize areas for improvement. We also conducted the first Social Performance Team (SPT) training session with a garment PSP, engaging management and worker representatives in understanding the roles and responsibilities of a worker-manager working group, and kickstarting their improvement action planning and risk mapping.

A central focus of the MY Voice project is ensuring effective and inclusive integration of workers’ voices in all aspects of the employer’s social compliance system. MY Voice helps create neutral spaces and channels for management to engage with workers and helps facilitate integration of workers into SCS processes through tools like Social Performance Teams, worker voice technology, and grievance mechanisms.

Get Involved

Be Part of the Action Hub

MY Voice’s Child Rights Action Hub includes rapid assessment and child labour remediation services, as well as social dialogue sessions on access to remedy. We are currently seeking palm oil plantation companies to participate in this pilot.

Pilot the Just Good Work app

MY Voice is seeking worker/community groups, unions, and civil society organisations to join us in piloting the Just Good Work app, which provides essential, on-the-go information on labour rights—empowering workers with knowledge and resources to navigate the workplace confidently. Participants in our pilot program gain access to our mobile tool and benefit from a series of capacity-building sessions focusing on combatting forced and child labour.

Participate as a Private Sector Partner

MY Voice is actively seeking private sector partners in the garment and palm oil industries in Malaysia who share our vision.

Recent Activities

Promoting Ethical Recruitment Practices through Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue

MY Voice jointly hosted the Responsible Recruitment Symposium with the People Positive Palm project on 25th April in Kuala Lumpur. The symposium brought together a wide range of stakeholders to discuss the critical issues surrounding ethical hiring practices and the treatment of workers in global supply chains.

Awareness Raising on Forced Labour, Child Labour, and More with Unions

In April, MY Voice kicked off a training series for National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW) branch and local leaders. The training series covers the topics of forced labour, child labour and gender equality in the workplace. Throughout the series, participants have opportunities to discuss case studies and participate in designing potential solutions for effective communication in workplaces on these topics.

Additionally, MY Voice introduced the Just Good Work app as an informational platform that can empower members of NUPW with information on their rights and their responsibilities, and contribute to improving their working conditions. Using the Just Good Work app, worker leaders can promote awareness and advocate around labour laws and standards to fellow members at the tap of a finger and in the language they are most comfortable in. Learn more about the Just Good Work app.

Strengthening Remediation Support through Community Focal Point Training

The first Community Focal Point (CFP) training under the MY Voice project was held on May 10-11, 2024 in Sandakan. The training empowers community members to effectively identify and address child labour risks, contributing to a community-based, multi-stakeholder child labour remediation service, the Child Rights Action Hub.

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Funding is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL-37321-21-75-K. 100% of the total costs of the project is financed with USG federal funds, for a total of $5,000,000 dollars. This material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government.