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Our Story Since 1991

Get to know the story of how Tenaganita came to be

Born Out of Struggles

In the 1980s, women worker groups were largely found to be employed in plantation and the manufacturing sectors.As our economy was flourishing, the early 1990s also invited an influx of migrant workers.

 
Workers were exploited and suffered from gross violation of their rights. We saw a huge need with these worker groupsas they grew in numbers, and struggle to survive in the country.

 
Although our work had started a decade earlier, Tenaganita only came to be in year 1991. As an organisation born outof the struggles of women and migrant workers in Malaysia, we stood and fought alongside these hard workingindividuals to advocate for their rights as workers: for decent wages, for decent living, and for a stop in discriminationand gender-based violence.

Who We Are

Tenaganita is a Malaysian human rights organisation dedicated in assisting, building, advocating and protecting migrants, refugees, women and children from exploitation, abuse, discrimination, slavery and human trafficking.

We seek to promote and protect the rights of marginalised and vulnerable individuals who have no voice in this globalised world.

Our Vision

We hope for a just, free, democratic and sustainable society where all persons are equal with dignity and rights.

Our Mission

We seek and strive to promote and protect the rights and dignity of all women, migrants and refugees while creating spaces collectively to achieve their full potential and liberation in a globalised world.

Migrant Workers (3)

Rights and Dignity For All

Since we started in 1991, our scope of work has grown in leaps and bounds. Today we work to address issues of exploitation, discrimination, unequal treatment, and violence against women, refugees and migrant workers.

Tenaganita has grown in strength through our initiatives and interventions – challenged by proposed discrimination policies and humbled by the enduring willpower of our communities.

We believe that in order to achieve our full potential as human beings we need an enabling, safe and healthy environment for all people irrespective of race, gender, colour, origin, identity and/or religion. Tenaganita aims to make the dream of the respect of rights and dignity for all an achievable reality.