Human Rights
and Business Award

An annual award (with a $50,000 grant) for outstanding work by human rights defenders in the Global South* or former Soviet Union addressing the human rights impacts of business in those regions.

*Global South = Africa, Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East

Photo: Photographer unknown

Photo: VICE

Photo: GMB Akash

Migrant Workers Rights Network staff explaining to migrant workers their rights - Chon Buri province, Thailand. Photo: MWRN

A truck brings migrant workers in Thailand home to their shipping container village from a construction site. Photo: Akira Kodaka

Migrant Workers Rights Network training session for local migrant leaders, about access to the state grievance mechanism – Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, Thailand. Photo: MWRN

Thai Union seafood company workers attend a training session led by Migrant Workers Rights Network – Samut Sakhon province, Thailand. Photo: Thai Union/Thawatchai Pundech

Burmese migrants peel shrimp in a processing plant in Thailand. Photo: Thierry Falise/International Labour Organization

Workshop for women migrant leaders organized by Migrant Workers Rights Network, to raise awareness about labor rights and gender equality issues – Samut Sakhon province, Thailand. Photo: MWRN

2020 award recipient

Migrant Workers Rights Network

Migrant Workers Rights Network is a grassroots member-based association that works to protect the rights of migrant workers who live and work in Thailand, the majority being from Myanmar. The organization was founded in 2009 by nine Myanmar migrant leaders after seeing extensive exploitation and abuse of migrant workers in Thai factories, the seafood industry, agriculture, and construction. They decided that empowerment of migrants is the best way for migrant workers to protect themselves.

More information News release 2020
Announcement video Announcement video
More information All 2020 nominees