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ILO Work in Freedom - Anti-Trafficking for Women Migrants (South Asia)

South Asia, Asia

Work in Freedom (2013-2018+), a partnership between ILO and UK DFID, addressed human trafficking of women and girls from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal to garment and domestic work in India, Jordan, Lebanon, and UAE. The £8.3M program targeted 100,000+ women with: (1) skills and pre-departure training for 50,000 migrants to secure legal contracts, (2) economic empowerment for 30,000 women to control income and send remittances, (3) prevention of migration for girls under 16 (keeping them in school), (4) recruitment agency codes of conduct with no-fee policies. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine measured outcomes including worker satisfaction, employer attitude changes, and agency adoption of ethical practices.

Behavior Goal

Ensure safe migration as a choice not necessity; transform recruitment agency practices; keep girls under 16 in school; empower women to control income and working conditions

Methods & Approaches

Advocacy & Policy Influence

Implementers & Partners

  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • UK DFID
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Donors & Sponsors

  • UK DFID

Key Takeaways

  • 1Pre-departure training increases likelihood of legal contracts and decent wages
  • 2Recruitment corridors with ethical practices create safe migration pathways
  • 3Age-specific interventions keep girls under 16 in education
  • 4Worker organization at destinations strengthens collective voice
  • 5Rigorous academic evaluation (LSHTM) enables evidence-based learning

Sources

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