Janarthani Arumugam

Jana’s involvement in human rights started in 2006 when she started volunteering with the women’s rights movement in Malaysia. She has been part of feminist organisations in Malaysia and Southeast Asia which have advocated for women’s right to meaningful participation in all forms of public life. She also worked on rural women’s access to municipal services as a local government representative in a district in Selangor. She has researched oil palm plantation labour issues in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines under Nippon Foundation grant from 2012 – 2013. Since then, she has worked on issues involving migrant labour in Malaysia both as a researcher and activist working directly with these communities.