Peoples Courage International (PCI) is an emerging alliance focused on addressing the challenges of domestic migration. One of the initiatives that PCI is involved in is the Migrants Resilience Collaborative (MRC), which has successfully set up a network-based movement in India, accessible at https://www.migrantresilience.org. 

The Migrants Resilience Collaborative (MRC) is a pioneering initiative dedicated to supporting and empowering internal migrants in South and Southeast Asia. With a mission to strengthen social protection for vulnerable migrant communities, MRC collaborates with grassroots NGOs, government agencies, and other stakeholders to implement effective last-mile delivery systems and develop contextually appropriate models for social protection. This collaborative effort brings together diverse stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, community leaders, policymakers, and volunteers, with the common goal of addressing the unique challenges and hardships faced by migrants. MRC strives to foster a sense of resilience among migrants, recognizing their strength, adaptability, and determination in the face of adversities. Through innovative programs and services, the collaborative seeks to provide social security and worker protection for internal migrants and their families. 

The organisation is currently working on a project titled, Digital Platform Workers in Asia. The study aims to carry out an extensive landscaping exercise to understand the status of digital platform workers in the Asia region. Despite the proliferation of digital labour platforms across Asia, digital platform workers are, for the most part, excluded from labour rights protections and social security schemes. This research seeks to inform PCI’s programmatic work to advance the rights of migrant and other digital platform workers in South and Southeast Asia across 9 cities in five countries. 

This project is a mixed-methods study aimed at generating knowledge about digital platform workers and their social protection. Our aim through the project is to conduct an in-depth study of working conditions, access to social security, and gaps in labour rights protections for South and Southeast Asian digital platform workers in the following sectors: 

• Ride sharing and taxi driving, delivery services,
• domestic work and home services,
• construction work