KUALA LUMPUR - Women migrant workers in Malaysia’s electronics industry are gaining confidence, building support networks and standing up for their labour rights through the PROTECT project led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from the European Union (EU).

Malaysia is a major global electronics manufacturing centre, accounting for nearly 13% of global semiconductor testing and packaging and close to 40% of the country’s exports, Devdiscourse reported.

Migrant workers, many of them women, play a key role in the labour-intensive sector but remain underrepresented in workplace discussions, trade unions and decision-making bodies.

Under the PROTECT project, the ILO has partnered with the Electrical Industry Employees Union (EIEU) to strengthen worker representation and social dialogue in sectors with high numbers of migrant workers.

The collaboration focuses on raising awareness of labour rights, encouraging collective action and improving access to trade union support for women migrant 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.

In January 2026, women migrant workers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal and Myanmar gathered in Penang for a targeted outreach programme organised by EIEU with support from the PROTECT project.

The sessions introduced participants to the trade union movement while providing safe spaces for sharing experiences, discussion and collective learning.

Discussions connected labour rights and workplace representation to daily challenges on production lines, including job security, working conditions and access to complaint channels.

A key part of the training focused on building practical, worker-led leadership at the factory level.

Participants selected their own worker leaders based on qualities such as courage, trust and 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.

The approach helped reinforce the idea of leadership as responsibility to fellow workers rather than formal positions.

By strengthening dialogue, confidence and visibility, the initiative supports women migrant workers’ participation in workplace processes and access to union representation.

The PROTECT project continues to promote migrant workers’ rights across key sectors, contributing to fairer, safer and more inclusive workplaces in Malaysia and the wider region.