Justice For Migrant Women

THE MISSION OF JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT WOMEN (J4MW) IS TO CHAMPION MIGRANT AND RURALWOMENS RIGHT TO LIVE AND WORK WITH DIGNITY, AND WITHOUT FEAR OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE. J4MW WASFOUNDED IN 2014 BY PRESIDENT CEO MNICA RAMREZ, A DAUGHTER OF MIGRANT FARMWORKERS, WHOHAS SPENT HER CAREER DEFENDING THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANT AND RURAL WOMEN AS A STORYTELLER, ATTORNEY,AND ACTIVIST. REFLECTING THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF MANY OF THE WORKERS WE SERVE, OUR STAFF ARE ALLWOMEN, THE MAJORITY ARE LATINA, AND 72% ARE FORMER MIGRANT WORKERS OR FROM MIGRANT FAMILIES.OHIO AND MICHIGAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT POPULATIONS OF MIGRANT WOMEN WORKING INAGRICULTURE, DOMESTIC LABOR, AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS WHERE WOMEN ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTEDBY GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT (GBVH). MIGRANT AND RURAL WOMEN WHO EXPERIENCESEXUAL VIOLENCE AND OR EXPLOITATION ARE ESPECIALLY ISOLATED, AS THERE ARE FEWER AVAILABLE SERVICESIN RURAL COMMUNITIES AND GREATER BARRIERS TO ACCESS. THESE CHALLENGES ARE COMPOUNDED BY THE FACTTHAT MIGRANT WOMEN ARE OFTEN ADDITIONALLY VICTIMIZED BY PERSONAL AND HISTORICAL TRAUMA, FACINGHARM AND VIOLENCE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER MIGRATION. BECAUSE MOST MIGRANT SURVIVORS OF GBVHLIVE AND WORK OUTSIDE MAINSTREAM TREATMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES, A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALING,ORGANIZING, AND POWER BUILDING IS ESSENTIAL.OUR PROPOSAL WILL CREATE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM POSITIVE IMPACTS ON THE LIVES OFWORKING WOMEN WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY GBVH ON THE GROUND IN OHIO ANDSOUTHERN MICHIGAN. WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING METHODS AND ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS AND PREVENTWORK-RELATED GBVH.COMMUNITY ORGANIZING DIRECT SERVICES: OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS WILL CONDUCT DIRECTOUTREACH TO WOMEN WORKERS THREATENED BY WORKPLACE GBVH IN THE REGION. WE WILL DEVELOPKNOW YOUR RIGHTS MATERIALS TO SHARE DIRECTLY WITH WORKERS AND BROADLY VIA PUBLIC EDUCATIONCAMPAIGNS AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS, REACHING 3000 WORKERS. WE WILL PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZEDVICTIM WITNESS ADVOCACY SERVICES FOR 25 SURVIVORS OF GBVH, AND WILL WORK WITH SERVICEORGANIZATIONS ACROSS OUR PROJECT AREA TO CONNECT SURVIVORS TO LEGAL AND OTHER ANCILLARY SERVICES.LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: WE WILL DEVELOP AND LAUNCH A NEW TRAINING PROGRAM TO INCREASETHE POWER OF 50 WORKING WOMEN AS FOCAL POINTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND AGENTS OF SYSTEMICCHANGE. TRAINING TOPICS WILL CENTER SURVIVORS AND WILL ADDRESS INFORMATION SUCH AS RIGHTS AGAINSTDISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE WHAT CONSTITUTES WORKPLACE HARASSMENT RESPONDING TOWORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND HOW TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS HOW TO MITIGATE THE RISKS OF GBVH AND EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY.SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND CULTURAL SHIFT: J4MW WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE AND ADVOCATE FORPLATFORMS FOR MIGRANT AND RURAL WORKING WOMEN TO TELL THEIR STORIES AND SPEAK OUT, AND WILL UPLIFTOUR CONSTITUENTS STORIES AS APPROPRIATE VIA PUBLIC EVENTS, EARNED MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OUROWN ROBUST COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS. WE WILL SUPPORT OTHER EFFORTS TO ENSURE STRONGIMPLEMENTATION OF NEW POLICIES AND GUIDANCE, SUCH AS MAKING SURE WOMEN KNOW HOW TO FILE ACHARGE WITH THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.OUR ACTIVITIES WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES. SURVIVORS OF GBVH WILL HAVE THE CAREAND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO BEGIN THEIR HEALING JOURNEYS. WORKING WOMEN WILL BE MORE PROTECTEDFROM VIOLENCE, DISCRIMINATION, EXPLOITATION, AND UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, AND AT LEAST 800WOMEN WILL BENEFIT FROM WORKER AND SURVIVOR-DRIVEN STRATEGIES THAT MITIGATE AND PREVENTWORKPLACE GBVH. WORKING WOMEN WILL BE EQUIPPED TO RECOGNIZE AND REPORT INSTANCES OFGBVH, LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN REPORTED CASES AND A REDUCTION IN INCIDENTS OF GBVH AT WORK.MORE WORKING WOMEN (ESPECIALLY WOMEN OF COLOR) WILL FILL LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THEIR WORKPLACESAND COMMUNITIESEXPANDING THEIR POWER AS AGENTS OF CHANGE.