Group 6: Insaf

Inspiration

Most of our team is from the Middle East, has been studying Arabic at Penn and some have even gotten to go on the Huntsman trip to Dubai. We are all very interested in the Middle East and see worker rights as one of the core issues facing the region, so we naturally gravitated toward this topic.

What it does

Insaf is a certification company focused on evaluating hospitality companies in the GCC based on their treatment of migrant workers. Our certification assesses companies against rigorous criteria to ensure safe and humane working conditions for migrant workers.

How we built it

We conducted comprehensive research into current labor practices in the GCC, examining recent controversies like the Qatar World Cup 2022 and studying best practices from international organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Amnesty International. Through extensive reading and analysis, we developed a robust set of certification criteria to assess workplace conditions.

Challenges we ran into

The lack of transparency in the labor sector poses a significant challenge, with companies reluctant to share detailed labor practices. Additionally, migrant workers often fear speaking out, creating barriers to understanding the true working conditions.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Through developing Insaf, we gained deep insights into migrant worker rights and challenges in the GCC while learning the intricacies of building a venture from the ground up. The process was transformative, teaching us about venture creation, from target audience identification to strategic marketing.

What we learned

Migrant worker rights is a complex, systemic issue that requires genuine commitment from governments and companies to drive meaningful change. We believe Insaf could serve as a catalyst, providing a framework and incentive for improving labor practices in the region.

What's next for Insaf

We are committed to continuing the development of our proposal and exploring pathways to transform our vision into a tangible, impactful initiative that can drive positive change in migrant worker rights.