Judith Gearhart

Focus areas: The nexus between corporate and government accountability in protecting workers' rights in global supply chains

Judy Gearhart is a senior researcher at the Accountability Research Center (ARC) at American University's School of International Service, where she is developing ARC's research on corporate accountability and workers' rights. She is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University, where she co-teaches the course Human Rights and the Politics of Inequality. Previously Ms. Gearhart served as the Executive Director at the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), and Programs Director at Social Accountability International. She has worked for UNICEF and the International Labour Organization and for NGOs and trade unions in Mexico and Honduras. She has conducted briefings and testified in the U.S. Congress, spoken in numerous fora on her work, and published articles on trade policy, labor rights, women's rights, and democratic participation. 

Ms. Gearhart has served on multiple non-profit boards. She is currently on the board of the Bank Information Center, the chair of the international committee for the Child Labor Coalition, and on the steering committee for the Fisheries Governance Project. She recently launched a podcast series based on her research at ARC, which features the personal stories and perspectives of worker organizers. Episodes of the Labor Link Podcast, which she hosts, can be found at:  https://accountabilityresearch.org/workerrights/

Education

• MIA, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs

Affiliations

• Member, Advisory Board for the Human Rights Advocates Program, ISHR