https://www.scmp.com/rss/317961/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The growing and ageing economies of Southeast Asia provide increasing demand for migrant labour. But as more migrants seize this opportunity to improve their lives, women in particular can find themselves at increased risk of exploitation and abuse, including trafficking. The World Day against Trafficking in Persons this week gave us an occasion to remind governments and other actors of what still needs to be done to put an end to it. Currently there are around 10 million migrant workers in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3020777/migration-asia-should-be-opportunity-workers-not-traffickers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3020777/migration-asia-should-be-opportunity-workers-not-traffickers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 06:11:36 +0000 Of the 40 million victims of modern slavery worldwide, almost two-thirds are exploited in Asia and the Pacific. Further breakdowns of the figure reveal that the region accounts for 73 per cent of all victims of forced sexual exploitation, 64 per cent of those in forced labour exploitation, and 68 per cent of those subjected to state-imposed forced labour. Although the share of people in extreme poverty in Asia and the Pacific has been cut by about 70 per cent over the past 10 years, 62 million... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2119890/modern-slavery-and-child-labour-asias-unacceptable-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2119890/modern-slavery-and-child-labour-asias-unacceptable-record?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Nov 2017 06:47:17 +0000 Often called the largest “invisible workforce”, there are almost 10 million domestic workers in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. More than 2 million are migrants, and domestic workers make up nearly 20 per cent of migrant workers in the region. This week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ 10th Forum on Migrant Labour meets in Manila, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. It coincides with the 6th anniversary... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116696/asean-nations-must-uphold-standards-protect-their-domestic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2116696/asean-nations-must-uphold-standards-protect-their-domestic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 05:55:48 +0000 There once was a view that you had to choose to either promote jobs and growth or to protect the planet, and that these options were almost incompatible. Eventually, we realised we cannot do one without the other. Societies and economies in Asia and the Pacific are particularly exposed to the threat of climate change. In some areas, people are forced to leave their jobs and homes with their families, and to watch their livelihoods, homes, and often all they have, be destroyed by natural... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2109620/jobs-or-halting-climate-change-cooperation-and-proper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2109620/jobs-or-halting-climate-change-cooperation-and-proper?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2017 06:12:29 +0000 Leaders around the world are talking about inequality. With the global economy still dragging, there are growing fears that rising income disparities could hamper growth and reverse social progress. At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, inequality was highlighted as the defining challenge for 2015. In the Asia-Pacific region, similar concerns are infiltrating the policy debate. Asia's economic achievements have been lauded globally. Since 1991, more than 465 million workers in the region... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1716002/inequality-threatens-derail-asian-growth-miracle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1716002/inequality-threatens-derail-asian-growth-miracle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2015 02:28:00 +0000