ILO–EU Project Empowers Women Migrant Workers in Malaysia’s Electronics Sector

Malaysia is a global hub for electronics manufacturing, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of global semiconductor testing and packaging and close to 40 per cent of the country’s total exports.

Women migrant workers in Malaysia’s electronics sector are building confidence, strengthening workplace networks and asserting their labour rights through the PROTECT – Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers project, implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from the European Union (EU).

Malaysia is a global hub for electronics manufacturing, accounting for nearly 13 per cent of global semiconductor testing and packaging and close to 40 per cent of the country’s total exports. Migrant workers, including a significant number of women, form the backbone of this labour-intensive industry. Yet, despite their critical contribution, migrant women workers remain largely underrepresented in workplace dialogue, trade unions and decision-making processes.

Strengthening Worker Voice Through Social Dialogue

Under the PROTECT project, the ILO has partnered with the Electrical Industry Employees Union (EIEU) to promote worker representation and social dialogue in sectors with high concentrations of migrant labour. The collaboration focuses on strengthening awareness of labour rights, encouraging collective action and improving access to trade union support structures for migrant women workers.

“Being a trade union member has helped me find solidarity among my friends at work. I know that as a union member, I have somewhere to turn to when my rights at work are not respected,” said a woman worker employed in an electronics factory.

Regional Outreach and Leadership Building

In January 2026, women migrant workers from Indonesia, Viet Nam, Nepal and Myanmar gathered in Penang as part of a targeted outreach initiative led by EIEU with support from the PROTECT project. The programme introduced participants to the trade union movement while creating safe spaces for peer exchange, shared reflection and collective learning.

Discussions linked labour rights and workplace representation directly to everyday experiences on production lines, enabling participants to better articulate common challenges such as job security, working conditions and access to grievance mechanisms.

Defining Leadership From the Shop Floor

A key feature of the training was its focus on practical, worker-led leadership. Participants collectively identified and selected their own worker leaders, emphasising qualities such as courage, integrity, trust and a willingness to speak up for others.

“We want to choose leaders who are brave, who have integrity and who are willing to speak up for us,” said another participant.

This approach reinforced leadership as accountability to peers rather than formal titles, helping women migrant workers see themselves as active contributors to workplace processes.

Advancing Fair and Inclusive Workplaces

By fostering dialogue, confidence and collective visibility, the initiative strengthens women migrant workers’ ability to participate meaningfully in workplace processes and access trade union representation. These efforts are critical to preventing labour exploitation and promoting safer, fairer and more inclusive working environments in Malaysia’s electronics sector.

The PROTECT project continues to support migrant workers’ rights across key sectors, contributing to stronger labour governance and inclusive economic growth in the region.