2023
Annual Report
In pursuit of access to justice across borders for migrant workers,
JWB was all about...
about connecting and empowering through...
Which all happened because of people and organisations that we worked with...
Made possible because of our donors and partners ...
JWB in 2023 By the Numbers
40,700
migrant domestic workers we reached
223
workers consulted about their rights
17
workshops to empower
supporters of migrant workers
27
closed cases
3
research papers published
Making It Happen
8,645
pro bono hours donated by 25 law firms and 57 volunteers
Our awesome partners, board and staff brought it to life
*$402,700
was raised
*$576,000
was spent across 4 countries
All values are in USD
Amplifying our Impact
40,700
Community
40,700 migrant domestic workers brought closer to access to justice
1,931
Connected
- 223 cases consulted
- 1,588 participants trained
- 63 pro bono lawyers
- 57 volunteers
99
Empowered
- 72 Mentees trained
- 27 clients supported
Enhancing community-based capacity on casework with Yayasan SAPA
By bringing people in the community together, we raise awareness, connect and learn
Singapore Access to Justice Mentorship Programme
Singapore launched its first mentorship programme to train volunteer caseworkers to support migrant domestic workers.
Extended Training
Programmes
Hong Kong Caseworker
Mentorship Programme
Hong Kong reconnected with the frontline support community to build its capacity to identify and support legal claims.
Why do we do training programmes?
Empowerment
Many participants are migrant domestic workers, who give up their only day off per week to learn how to help sisters pursue justice
Community Building
By connecting pro bono lawyers with frontline caseworkers, we create a long-term community that embeds justice for migrant workers
Sharing Know-How
We transfer case support skills so participants can identify potential claims and support their clients throughout the process.
Participants from Union of United Domestic Workers (UUDW) in discussion about client interviewing skills
Sisters Helping Sisters
Hong Kong Caseworker Mentorship Programme 2023-24
About the programme
PLUDW-HK building case chronology
Aim
We aim to build casework skills with five key unions under the Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Union (FADWU). Participants can provide effective legal aid to their sisters and develop leadership skills to pass their knowledge forward to their own unions.
Amplifying our reach
Direct beneficiaries include 27 local union leaders trained as caseworkers. Indirect beneficiaries are migrant workers who access these caseworkers when they need help. In addition, our participants will train a further 60 caseworkers who together are capable of reaching 10,000 domestic workers annually.
Sharing from participants
Maricris
Progressive Labor Union of Domestic Workers - Hong Kong (PLUDW-HK)
I would like to learn more and fight for our rights. The session on privacy is especially helpful as many sisters often don’t enjoy privacy.
From left: Rowena (Overseas Domestic Workers’ Union ODWU), Lorie, Rose, Maricris, Gillyn (PLUDW-HK) and Julianne Chan (Simmons & Simmons) doing a group activity on client interview skills
Sarah
Union of Nepalese Domestic Workers
I join the programme to learn more about casework skills and our rights. I want to teach my girls how to protect themselves.
From left: Savitri, Sarah (UNDW), Cindy Lau (Solicitor), Celine Chan (Co-Head of Hong Kong Office) and Aruna (translator) finishing an example case chronology
Pipit
Union of United Domestic Workers (UUDW)
I help with case consultations at my union. I want to learn more about discrimination laws as it is a common problem faced by migrant workers.
From left: Ratih, Pipit, Alice Tsui (Clifford Chance) and Wigayanti (UUDW) in discussions
Special thanks to our partners
Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions (FADWU):
- Union of United Domestic Workers (UUDW)
- Progressive Labor Union of Domestic Workers in Hong Kong (PLUDW-HK)
- Thai Migrant Workers Union in Hong Kong (TMWU)
- Union of Nepalese Domestic Workers in Hong Kong (UNDW-HK)
- Overseas’ Domestic Workers’ Union (ODWU)
- KOBUMI
Funders and legal partners
- Operation Santa Claus
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Clifford Chance
- Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC)
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Simmons & Simmons
- A&O Shearman
- Herbert Smith Freehills
UUDW with mentor, Flora Leung (RPC)
UUDW with mentor, Latifah Sat (Clifford Chance)
TMWU with mentor Tiffany Tse (28 Admiralty)
PLUDW-HK with mentor Julianne Chan (Simmons & Simmons)
UNDW with mentor Cindy Lau (Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP)
PLUDW-HK building case chronology
Training Workshop on General Case Management with HOME and Suara Kita
Access to Justice Mentorship Programme 2023-24
Singapore
About the programme
Participants in discussion with April Zhang (Clifford Chance)
Aim
The programme supports caseworkers from HOME and Suara Kita, many being migrant domestic workers themselves, with legal skills to help their fellow sisters identify and pursue a legal claim. Topics include:
- Trauma informed counselling
- Identifying opportunities for compensation claims
- Collecting evidence
- Understanding MDWs’ rights
Amplifying our reach
Direct beneficiaries include 40 participants from migrant worker groups. Secondary beneficiaries include over 90 client case consultations 35-60 MDWs reached out by participants to share legal knowledge.
Sharing from participants
Jane
Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)
The workshops taught me to think from the client's perspective, to step into their shoes in order to communicate effectively.
Jane with other participants and legal mentor, Charlotte Tan (Clifford Chance)
Winarti
Suara Kita
I would bring forth any questions from my friends to the training so we can discuss best practices and solutions to their legal claims.
Winarti in discussion with participants and legal mentor Muslim Albakri (Albakri LLC)
Delia
HOME
The coaching sessions have developed my legal skills and help me see justice for migrant workers can be attained.
Jane in discussion with Delia on collecting case evidence.
Training on Psychological First Aid (PFA)
How do you recognise when someone is suffering the effects of trauma? How should you behave to ensure that the person feels safe and is able to seek and understand advice on their situation? Our first two Singapore sessions were devoted to this difficult topic of Psychological First Aid.
Our facilitators from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital laid out what to look for and what to expect. Participants could practice what they learned with role-plays and discussion.
Special thanks to our partners
Legal Partners
- Albakri LLC
- Clifford Chance
- Dentons Rodyk
- Drew & Napier
- Jones Day
- King & Wood Mallesons
- Morrison Foerster
- RPC Premier Law
- Reed Smith LLP
- KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Funding and Frontline partners
- Clifford Chance
- Suara Kita
- Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME)
Tan Yong Wei (Morrison Foerster) leading discussions
Michelle Huang (King & Wood Mallesons) leading a session on evidence collection
Charmaine Yap (Drew & Napier LLC) leading a session on employment contracts
Natalia, Wijayanti and Miarti from HOME
PFA Workshop with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Fatmawati, Winarti and Purwanti from Suara Kita
Our Casework in 2023
Providing support to the migrant domestic worker community is central to our mission. We are dedicated to empowering these workers throughout the claims process and ensuring their rights are protected.
Celine Chan with Kim interviewing for SCMP (11 September 2023)
Learnings from Hong Kong and Singapore
- We lost a false imprisonment case in Singapore which spurred us to initiate further research into global benchmarks on the topic for future cases.
- To view the case highlights from Singapore team, check here.
- We achieved an important success in Hong Kong on a sexual harassment case, which was covered by South China Morning Post.
Our overall case activity for 2023 measured by case stages:
Case consultations
223
consultations to determine next steps
Claim Development
18
new claims
developed
25
active claims at the end of 2023
Claims in Progress
Cases Closed
4
compensation awards
compensation received by former migrant workers
US$37,520
Mirna
Pursuing unpaid salary and then unpaid settlement payments
Indonesian worker in Singapore
Mirna (not her real name) was an Indonesian MDW who was not paid any salary for nearly 2 years.
During her employment, she also endured physical abuse and was often hit by her employers. In October 2021, her employers agreed to settle Mirna’s lawsuit by paying Mirna her owed salary (around SGD 13,000) over 12 instalments.
Unfortunately, her employers continued in their unscrupulous ways. Over the next 2 years, her employers consistently ignored their obligations, delayed payments and failed to pay Mirna the instalment amounts.
Mirna is now instituting enforcement proceedings against her former employers, which serves as a message to employers that they will be held accountable for their obligations towards their MDWs. These obligations will not just go away if employers ignore them.
Mary
The power of representation
Filipina worker in Singapore
Mary (not her real name) was a Filipina MDW who worked in Singapore for more than 20 years and was constantly underpaid by her employers.
Mary was initially made to undergo private mediation with her employer to resolve the dispute while she was in Singapore. Unrepresented by an advocate, unadvised and intimidated by the process, Mary did not reach a meaningful resolution with her employers. She did not even have an interpreter to converse with in her native language. She therefore considered giving up her claims after returning to the Philippines.
However, with JWB’s assistance and legal representation by pro bono lawyers, Mary was able to understand her rights and options to assert them. She had greater confidence in pursuing a claim against her former employers, which resulted in a settlement and she was paid the salary she was owed. This simply would not have happened if Mary had not been able to access effective representation.
Kim
Holding sexual abusers into account
Filipina worker in Hong Kong
Kim (not her real name) was sexually harassed by her employer in 2021.
On the advice of her friends and former employer, she escaped from the employer's flat and reported the case to the Police. Suffering from months of nightmares, homesickness, and the lack of financial resources, she decided to go home to her family in the Philippines.
Together with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, we supported Kim at Equal Opportunities Commission conciliation meetings, initiated proceedings at District Court, and negotiated a settlement of the amount of HK$120,000.
Our partner in the Philippines, Voice of the Free, provided counselling to Kim to help her persevere through the journey to justice despite her trauma.
Amy
Able and willing to work: disability ≠ inability
Filipina workers in Hong Kong
In 2019, Amy (not her real name) arrived in Hong Kong and was asked by her employment agency to undergo a comprehensive medical check-up. The X-ray report showed that she had some scar tissue under her breast and Amy was harassed by the employment agency into admitting that she had historical breast cancer. Her contract was terminated soon afterwards.
Over the course of more than four years, together with Simmons & Simmons, we helped Amy obtain compensation from the employer and the employment agency in the total sum of HK$160,000. This case sends a strong message that disability discrimination should not be tolerated.
A day in the life of a JWB caseworker
From left: Natasya Fahira (Legal Officer), Vivi Octavia (Senior Legal Officer) in outreach sessions
Why Extra-Legal Representation is critical to access to justice for MDWs
The element that links all of the cases described above is the dedicated support pro bono lawyers and caseworkers provided to Amy, Mirna, Kim, and Mary.
We honour the efforts of our own local caseworkers, Vivi and Natasya, as well as colleagues at the International Pro Bono Alliance, Voice of the Free, Yayasan Banati and SBMI to support migrant domestic workers through this immensely difficult process.
To learn more about how a caseworker helps migrant worker clients pursue justice, check here.
Here’s some examples of the activities our caseworkers pursue:
Attending negotiations with the client to provide support, translations and expertise on past cases
Attending Negotiations
Working with the client to build a case chronology – this can take weeks to pull together all the essential details
Building the case
Frequently travelling for eight hours to connect client with their pro bono lawyer across countries for legal advice
Fostering Trust
Spending time with the client to build trust and hear her story
Finding Evidence
Helping the client find evidence and understand what is useful in a claim
Bridging communication
Psychosocial Support
Provision of safe space and emotional support to help client stay positive and motivated
Vivi Octavia and other caseworkers in outreach sessions
What are the traits should a caseworker have?
As a caseworker, we must be empathetic to the different needs and cultures of our clients. We should remain open-minded to new solutions and persevere even when things don’t go as planned.
Vivi Octavia
Strategic Legal Research
We released four key research papers on issues critical to pursuing claims across borders for migrant domestic workers in South East Asia.
Many thanks to our research partners, Ginting Reksodiutro, Tan Kok Quan Partnership, King & Spalding, the International Labour Organisation, C&G Law Philippines, Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Drew & Napier and Morrison Foerster.
From left: Nimisha Menon (Senior Programme Officer, iProbono), Radhika Saxena (Senior Programme Manager, iProbono), Ijechi Nazirah (Head of Singapore Office), Jaime Wong, Celine Chan (Co-Heads of Hong Kong Office), Mariam Faruqi (CEO, iProbono) at 12th Asia Pro Bono Conference
Outreach, Education and Community Building
In 2023 we invested in talking more and better with the global community supporting access to justice and migrant workers.
Group photos of regional roundtable in Singapore
Regional Roundtable in Singapore
Making claims across borders truly without borders
Dialogue and collaboration between legal and frontline organisations are crucial to fast track the common goal of making justice as mobile as migrant workers.
In this roundtable, we brought together 10 Indonesian-based frontliners, 4 Singapore-based frontliners and 6 pro bono lawyers to share perspectives and challenges in handling migrant worker claims.
The roundtable provided a platform to identify emerging needs and best practices to address issues moving forward. New connections and opportunities for collaboration open new pathways to justice.
Yatini (left) receiving certificate from Vivi Octavia, Senior Legal Officer, Indonesia Office (right)
“The joint event in Singapore was very aspirational because it provides an opportunity to interact between frontline partners, unions and lawyers in one forum. Cross-border collaboration simplifies case handling [and] the case becomes more effective and affordable to handle.
If we need additional resources, we can contact colleagues in the host country. We can support additional data in the home country if they need additional data. The availability and commitment of pro bono lawyers also makes migrant workers more confident in fighting for their rights.”
Yatini,
Representative of KSBSI and MRS
Special thanks to
Frontline Partners
Association of Retired Workers (Pertakina)
Mr. Robby and Ms Sulistyganingsih
Dunia Viva Wanita (YDVW)
Mrs. Celina Cicilia Margaritha
FAST, Singapore
Sharon Rogers, Cedric Chew, Amey Warminih
Fatayat NU Calicap
Mrs Mufat and Mrs Nisfah
HOME
Jaya Anil Kumar, Natalia Tan, Tanti
Indonesian Family Network (IFN)
Sammi Gunawan and Dini Irmalasari
Indonesia Migrant Workers Union (SBMI)
Mrs Mujianto and Mrs. Fitri
Indonesian Women’s Coalition (KPI)
Mrs Darwinih and Mrs. Fifi Ekawati
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Professor Lois Bastide
Suara Kita
Lin Mutmainah, Ade Rayani, Eny Yuliat
Yayasan Banati
Mrs Suhartati Sacawijaya and Mrs. Ineu Muliani
Yayasan Embun Pelangi (YEP)
Mrs Rita Ramadani and Mr Ria Febriyanti
Legal Partners
Providence Law Asia LLC
Bestlyn Loo
Drew & Napier LLP
Charmaine Yap
Albakri LLC
Muslim Albakri
Rajah & Tann LLP
Walter Yeo
Morrison & Foerster
Rishikeesh Wijaya
JWB team with Bruce Lasky (Director, BABSEACLE), Wendy Lasky
Ijechi Nazirah at Asia Pro Bono Conference
Outreach at Cebu, the Philippines
With the assistance of our long-term partner, Atty. Purificacion Bernabe (Pingki) of the International Pro Bono Alliance, our Philippines outreach in 2023 built relationships with frontline organisations and pro bono partners as well as universities.
Our team also had the opportunity to present a session at the 2023 Asia Pro Bono Conference. We would like to extend our gratitude to Ashurst LLP for sponsoring the attendance of Ijechi at the Conference.
With our partners from Voice of the Free, iProbono and Drew & Napier LLC, we delved into the importance of trauma-informed legal practice in different cultural contexts. We were grateful for the opportunity to spotlight the voices and experiences of our partners from their work with vulnerable clients including migrant workers.
Participants from Yayasan SAPA conducting case chronology
Short term outreach
A series of short term trainings held in Indonesia focused on safe migration with the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and International Association of Defense Council (IADC).
These workshops raised awareness of the legal rights of migrant domestic workers to pursue claims for compensation, even after they return home. Participants went on to learn the skills needed to identify these claims and support a former migrant domestic worker through the claim process.
Training and Outreach Metrics
1,588
participants in 2023
28
formal activities to pursue our vision
10
frontline sector training on cross-border claims
4
legal sector awareness raising sessions
16
presentations and forums to build knowledge of claims
Social Media Outreach
Our Top 3 Most Popular Posts
Justice WIthout Borders
Our Hong Kong Caseworker Mentorship Programme (#HKMP) is a few days away! HKMP focuses on training full-time migrant domestic workers to serve as volunteer caseworkers over weekends within their communities.
#HKMP2023 #womenempowerment
Justice WIthout Borders
Feature interview with SCMP: Check out as Celine shares a case she had been working on to help a migrant domestic worker who has survived sexual assault.
#justiceforall #IsOurSharedVoice
Social Media Outreach
Facebook
Our channel for frontline organisations and migrant domestic workers
4128
Followers
95
New Followers
93
Posts
LinkedIn
LinkedIn - our channel for legal community and volunteers
3758
Followers
466
New Followers
11.7%
Engagement rate
Our Supporters
Making access to justice possible for migrant workers
On a personal note...
Cathy Heeley
Executive Director, JWB
2023 saw the retirement of our founder and former Executive Director, Doug Maclean. JWB would not exist but for Doug’s passion and commitment. Doug has positively impacted so many people in the last 10 years. We wish Doug the very best for his new adventure.
So many awesome people in the Legal Community, frontline organisations, volunteers and fellows, our Board members and our staff give of their hearts, heads and time to pursue a world where justice is as mobile as migrant workers. Thank you!
Participants and legal mentors at the Singapore A2J Mentorship Programme
More than 8,635 hours of service were donated over the year by 57 individual volunteers and 25 law firms.
You have our enduring gratitude and admiration.
Huge thanks to our legal community
Audent Chambers LLC
Our Frontline Partners
Hong Kong
Bethune House
Branches of Hope
Christian Action
Equal Justice Hong Kong
Harmony Baptist Church
HELP for Domestic Workers
Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions
Indonesian Migrant Workers Union
International Domestic Workers Federation
KOBUMI
Mission for Migrant Workers
Overseas Domestic Workers Union
PathFinders
Progressive Labor Union of Domestic Workers - Hong Kong
STOP Trafficking of People
Thai Migrant Workers' Union
Union of United Domestic Workers
Singapore
AIDHA
Centre for Domestic Employees
Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training
Filipino Family Network
Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics
Indonesian Family Network
Kaugnay
KK Women's and Children's Hospital
National University of Singapore
Singapore Management University
Suara Kita
Transient Workers Count Too
Our Frontline Partners
Indonesia
Asosiasi Pekerja Migran Indonesia Sektor Kemaritiman dan Perikanan
Fatayat NU Cilacap
Fatayat NU Jawa Timur
Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia Jawa Barat
Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia Jawa Tengah
Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia Jawa Timur
Komisi Keadilan Perdamaian dan Pastoral Migran Perantau Kepulauan Riau
Konfederasi Serikat Buruh Sejahtera Indonesia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Indonesia
Pertakina
SAPA institute
Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia
Seruni
Yayasan Banati
Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita
Yayasan Embun Pelangi
Women Crisis Centre Mawar Balqis
Women Crisis Centre Pasundan Durebang
Philippines
Ignatian Legal Apostolate Office, Ateneo de Naga University
Center for Migrant Advocacy
International Pro Bono Alliance
Kanlungan Centre Foundation
Labor Education and Research Network
Mariano Marcos State University
SENTRO
Voice of the Free
Our Legal Fellows & Volunteers
Hong Kong
Arienne Coate
Ally Wing Yin Chan
Erik Yau
Kevin Ling
Janet Yuan
Jasmine Davison-Roberts
Krizza M. Apo
Lily Wen
Pauline Wong
Priscilla Meau
Rachel Fu
Sunhera Cariappa
Singapore
Ajay Nair
Amelia Chua
Evangeline Quek
Ernest Chua
Esther Lim
Kaavya Viswanathan
Laura Sim
Ma Xinyue
Min Kim
Mohd Khairulnizam
Natalia Mai
Sanaya Masurkar
Stephen Malicdem
Taibah Imtiaz
Tan Eu Jenn
Indonesia
Adinda Chaerunisa
Agustini
Alya Zafira
Daniella Pia Darmanto
Desan
Fairuziah Putri Adristi
Holongi Theonia
Najma Shabira
Rahmawati
Salma
Syafira
PR
Charlene Oyighan
Cheryl Cheung
Denise Phua
Jacky Yeung
Katina Chiew
Katrina Fenton
Lucy Skrine
Melissa Koay
Trisha Sanatani
Yolanda Lam
Fundraising
Alex Zhang
Doi Ling
Gabriel Mornet
Jenny Fu
Joo Kim Ng
Martin Ho Yin Wong
Nitika Jain
HR
Anir Bhattacharyya
Migrant domestic worker outreach with Clifford Chance
Migrant domestic worker outreach at CUHK
Singapore volunteers at JWB10 anniversary celebration
Indonesia Legal Fellows
Singapore Fellows in A2J Mentorship Programme
Indonesia Legal Fellows at gathering
Sharings from volunteers
To me, witnessing the impact of collective effort in creating meaningful change, has reinforced the idea that progress is really achievable.
Moreover, interacting JWB clients has highlighted the significance of empathy in the realm of law and human rights, which motivated me to contribute to a fairer, equitable world.
Khai
Legal Fellow, Singapore
My time at JWB was very rewarding in terms of personal and professional growth. I loved
the human element of the work that provided me opportunities to meet with different walks of life.
Katina Chiew
PR Fellow,Hong Kong
Our Board
New and old Board members and team (from left to right)” Doug MacLean, Cathy Heeley, Aziah Hussin,Tania Magoon, Taibah Charafi, Ijechi Nazirah, Suzanne Lim
An enormous thank you to our volunteer board members
Their contribution in 2023 was particularly significant with the extended absence of the Executive Director. The Board managed through this and the recruitment and transition to a new Executive Director in the second half of the year.
Our founder and first Executive Director, Doug MacLean retired from JWB in November. Doug had been the heart and soul of JWB for 10 years, his energy and passion (as well as his encyclopedic knowledge!) are much missed. The Board and the JWB team are enormously grateful for Doug’s contribution in bringing JWB to life and establishing an organisation that is capable of outlasting all of us. We wish Doug all the very best for his future adventures and new family.
Board of Directors
As of 31 December 2023
Executive Director (Outgoing)
Doug MacLean
Board Member
Aziah Hussin, Chair from 1 January, 2024
Executive Director (Incoming)
Cathy Heeley
Treasurer
Philip Shin
Board Member and Chairman
Gene Bulmash
Board Member and Board Secretary
Jonathan Crompton
Our Staff
Photo of the whole team:
Upper row: Ijechi, Natasya, Vivi, Nandini, Salsa, Cathy, & Jaime C.
Lower row: Alice, Jaime W, Brigita, Celine, & Syafiqah
Singapore
Ijechi Nazirah Nunn
Syafiqah Zailani
Hong Kong
Celine Chan
Jaime Wong
Jaime Chu
Indonesia
Eva Maria Putri Salsabila
Vivi Octavia
Brigita Kandisari
Natasya Fahira
Regional
Doug MacLean/
Cathy Heeley
Nandini Sethi
Coffee Pang/
Alice Chuck
And a special thanks to Jeremiah Chia of JCK Singapore LLP for keeping our accounting records in order, and our auditors, Cheng & Cheng (Hong Kong) and JM&M (USA).
Our Financial Supporters
Many individuals and organisations donated or made grants to JWB for which we are immensely grateful.
Building our partnerships and funding is a high priority to secure our future.
Our Donors
Charles Allen
Gene Bulmash
Daniel Cohen
Jonathan Crompton
Aziah Hussin
Hong Kong Legal Walk 2023
Nandini Sethi (Fundraising Lead) at the Hong Kong Legal Walk 2023 Closing Ceremony
Walking for Justice
We were honoured when JWB was selected as a beneficiary of the Hong Kong Legal Walk, a remarkable walkathon led by the legal community to raise HK$1 million for charitable causes.
The generous support we received will directly contribute to our 2023-24 HK Caseworker Mentorship Programme, an initiative that empowers leaders within the migrant domestic worker community. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the 850 lawyers and organisers of the Hong Kong Legal Walk for sharing our mission.
Our Work by the numbers
Strategic Cross-border
litigation
223
cases screened
29
cases advanced
17
cases closed
Creating Regional Networks
43
Programmatic
Partners
4
International agencies
14
Hong Kong
17
Indonesia
4
Philippines
12
Singapore
41
Legal Partners
20
Hong Kong
2
Indonesia
1
Philippines
18
Singapore
Developing Transnational Access to Legal Aid
81
volunteers and law firm Partners
24
legal fellows & volunteers
33
general fellows & volunteers
24
law firm partners
8,645
pro bono hours
2,487,478
total in-kind value (US$)
$45,592
legal fellows & volunteers
$58,170
general fellows & volunteers
$2,033,000
by law firm partners
** Only submitted hours and values are included
3,149
legal fellows & volunteers
2,760
general fellows & volunteers
2,200
law firm partners
Financial Statements 2023
(as of Dec 31, 2023)
Assets
Current Assets
$655,316 $3,073 $641 $1,543 $660, 573
Cash and Cash Equivalents Grants Receivable
Employee & Trustee Receivables
Prepaid Expenses
Total Current Assets
Trademark
Accumulated Amortisation
Total Assets
$42,163 $22,547
$680,190
Liabilities and Equity
Liabilities
Liabilities
Total Accrued Expenses Total Other Current Liabilities Total Current Liabilities
$20,285 $36,606 $56,890
Equity
Unrestricted Net Assets Time Restricted Net Assets
Retained Earnings
Net Revenue
Total Equity
Total Liabilities and Equity
$339,202 $28,900 $255,198 $-168,592 $822,477
$680,190
$402,860
total revenue collected
$115,618
Corporate Contribution
$227,749
Foundation/Trust
$227,749
Indiv/Small Business Contribution
$341
Misc. Revenue
$461,730
total expenditures
$135,868
Hong Kong
$272,253
Regional
$80,784
Indonesia
$87,353
Singapore
The 2023 statements above have not yet been audited.
Copies of our audited 2022 financial statements are available upon request.
All values in US Dollars
Reference Pages
- JWB milestones
- What is Capacity Building?
- Top 10 migrant worker claims JWB has supported
- How JWB connects a client at home to their case abroad
DISCLAIMER: JWB is an independent organisation that is not affiliated with any other organisations using “without borders” in their names or trademark. Justice Without Borders is not in any way affiliated with Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontiers; Lawyers Without Borders, Inc / Abogados Sin Fronteras, or Judges Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders and Médecins Sans Frontiers are registered trademarks of Médecins Sans Frontiers International.
Get Involved
Donate
Your support is essential to us. Your donation helps:
Address the strategic and logistical issues that clients and lawyers face in bringing cross-border claims.
Educate and empower leaders in migrant worker communities, frontline NGOs, pro bono legal aid, and government agencies.
Share best practices and resources across the region from JWB’s work and collaboration with leading law firms and corporate organisations.
Volunteer
Our volunteers form the backbone of our impact,
supporting programmatic and operations teams to
achieve our mission. Come Join Us!
Programmatic Team
Help with legal research, case analysis and training programmes for migrant workers
Communications Team
Share our stories to our target audience through graphics, writings and videos
Fundraising Team
Assist in developing partnerships, grant research and writing, and fundraising initiatives
How to apply
Send your work samples, CV, and statement of interest to volunteer@forjusticewithoutborders.org
Together, we bring justice home
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Indonesia
+64 62 8128-606-6365
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Singapore 339156
+64 6871-8757
Washington DC 20016,
United States
