War on Want has called on the Duchess of Cambridge to push the retailer Zara to stop exploiting women in its south-east Asian factories, as it published a report into exploitation of female migrant workers.

The charity is also asking the public to lobby their MPs to pressure the Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, to establish a business, human rights and environment commission to protect the rights of workers in factories that supply British retailers.

As well as fashion retailer Zara - a known favourite of the Duchess - War on Want has named Adidas (an Olympic sponsor), Nike, Puma, Reebok, H&M, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Levi Strauss, Timberland and Benetton and hopes that the public will complain to the companies about its practises.

Laia Blanch, international programmes officer at War on Want said: “Western brands promote themselves as ethical and responsible towards the people who make their goods. But they maximise their profits and minimise costs by exploiting migrant women workers as cheap labour. It is high time the British government stopped this abuse.”

The report, Restricted Rights: Migrant women workers in Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia highlights the plight of female migrant workers who are paid below minimum wage for long hours, and live in unsanitary and overcrowded dormitories.

For example, Burmese migrant women who were interviewed by the charity at a factory in Thailand, received £1.40 for between 10 and 11 hours work.