As global supply chains grow more difficult to track, holding retail brands accountable to creating safe workplace conditions across the globe, particularly in Asia, has become increasingly important. In the decentralized web of these chains, technology has emerged as an important tool for uplifting worker voices to raise awareness of unfair labor practices, hold brands accountable to engaging in remediation, and advocate for stronger workplace protections. This project seeks to understand the effectiveness of technology-based approaches to improving worker empowerment by working with Issara Institute, an organization which works with thousands of workers in Thailand and across Southeast Asia to hold global retail brands accountable to safe labor practices.

I am a member of the Class of 2025 studying Computer Science and Ethnic Studies at Brown University. This summer, I will collaborate with Issara Institute on a research project titled “Tech for Migrant Worker Justice: Assessing Transformative Potential of Technological Interventions for Labor Exploitation in Thailand.” This project aims to understand the effectiveness of technology-based approaches in empowering low wage migrant workers of multinational corporations and holding corporations accountable to improving labor conditions within their supply chains. I look forward to learning what tech for social good can constitute and exploring the intersection of tech and labor in a transnational context!