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Equidem

Website:

www.equidem.org
Type:

Labor Rights Advocacy Group
Formation:

2021
CEO:

Mustafa Qadri
Location:

London, England

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Equidem is a London-based labor advocacy group that claims to advocate against human rights abuses in developing countries including forced labor, trafficking, slavery, and alleged impacts on the workforce due to climate change. 1 The group has received funding from left-of-center organizations including the Open Society Foundations (OSF), Humanity United, and the Ford Foundation. 2 3

Background

Equidem is a London-based labor advocacy group that claims to investigate and advocate against human rights abuses in developing countries. The group is a registered charity in England and Wales. 4 5

The group was originally founded in 2016 as Equidem Research and Consulting (ERC), a private for-profit company, by Mustafa Qadri. 6 7 ERC originally created Equidem as a separate legal entity in 2021. By May 2022, Equidem registered as an independent charity, with the group’s staff originally being part of ERC. Qadri is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Equidem and was the executive director of ERC. 8

Equidem is based in London, England but also has offices located in Nepal, India, Kenya, South Africa, the Gulf and Middle East, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Malaysia. 9

Activities

In 2020 Equidem was one of several human rights advocacy organizations to form a “civil society coalition” advocating action by countries within the Persian Gulf region to provide labor protection for workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Other groups that took part include Amnesty International, Global Labor Justice, Human Rights Watch, Humanity United, and the International Trade Union Confederation. 10

In 2021, Equidem released a report investigating alleged illegal labor practices that took place at the Expo 2020 Dubai. The report claimed to have found evidence of abuses including racial discrimination, forced labor, illegal recruitment fees, and not paying wages for migrant workers. 11

In 2022, Equidem released a report on investigations into alleged labor abuses associated with migrant workers that constructed football stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The report claimed to have uncovered “persistent and widespread labour rights violations” such as discrimination, illegal recruitment practices, and unpaid wages. 12 The Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) released a statement denying the allegations, claiming the report was “littered with inaccuracies and misrepresentations.” 12

Partners

Equidem has partnered with several human rights and worker advocacy organizations including the International Domestic Workers Federation, Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum, and the Solidarity Center, as well as migrant-led organizations in Nepal. It has also partnered with international labor union federations. 13

Funding

According to its 2023 financial statements, Equidem reported an income of $882,168 and expenses at $467,504. 14

The group has received funding from left-of-center organizations including Open Society Foundations (OSF), Humanity United, Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Ford Foundation, and the Freedom Fund as major donors. 2 15 16 17 18 3

Leadership

Mustafa Qadri is the founder and CEO of Equidem, and was founder and executive director of Equidem Research and Consulting (ERC). He earned a law degree with a qualification to practice law in New South Wales, Australia. In 2002, he was a legal practitioner at the Supreme Court of New South Wales. In 2003, he moved to London, England. In 2008, he worked as a journalist for The Guardian. In 2010, he consulted with Human Rights Watch and then with Amnesty International until 2016 when he founded ERC. In November 2020, he launched Equidem. 19 20

References

  1. “Our Areas of Focus.” Equidem. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidem.org/our-work/our-themes
  2. “Our Partners.” Equidem. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidem.org/about-us/funding-and-partners
  3. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=equidem
  4. “Who We Are.” Equidem. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidem.org/about-us
  5. “Home.” Equidem. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.equidem.org/
  6. “Equidem Research and Consulting Limited.” Gov.UK Advanced Company Search. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10204534
  7. “About.” Equidem Research and Consulting. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidemresearch.org/about/
  8. “Structure, Governance and Management.” Equidem Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 May 2023. Page 11. Link from Gov.UK Advanced company search. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13396094/filing-history
  9. “Who We Are.” Equiderm – About Us. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidem.org/about-us/who-are-we
  10. “Equidem and Equidem Nepal join civil society coalition urging Gulf governments to prioritise migrant worker health in COVID-19 response.” Equidem Research and Consulting. April 10. 2020. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidemresearch.org/news/equidem-and-equidem-nepal-join-civil-society-coalition-urging-gulf-governments-to-prioritise-migrant-worker-health-in-covid-19/
  11.  Abhishek Hark. “Migrant Workers Face Discrimination, Forced Labour Practices at Dubai Expo 2020.” Wire. February 3, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://thewire.in/world/dubai-export-2020-migrant-workers-discrimiantion-forced-labour
  12. Pete Pattisson. “World Cup stadium workers ‘had their money stolen and lives ruined’, says rights group.” The Guardian. November 10, 2022. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/nov/10/world-cup-stadium-workers-had-their-money-stolen-and-lives-ruined-says-rights-group
  13. “Impacts and outcomes we are most proud of this year.” Equidem Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 May 2023. Page 8. Link from Gov.UK Advanced company search. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13396094/filing-history
  14. Equidem Report and Financial Statements For the year ended 31 May 2023. Link from Gov.UK Advanced company search. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13396094/filing-history
  15. “Awarded Grants.” Open Society Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=equidem&grant_id=OR2022-87826
  16. “Grantee Partners.” Humanity United. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://humanityunited.org/our-partners/?query=equidem
  17. “Investors.” The Freedom Fund. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.freedomfund.org/investors-and-supporters/
  18. “Grantee Profile – Equidem.” Sigrid Rausing Trust. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/grantee/equidem/
  19. “Mustafa Qadri.” Equidem Research and Consulting – About. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.equidemresearch.org/about/
  20. LinkedIn – Mustafa Qadri. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafaqadri/details/experience/
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