This International Women’s Day (IWD) we must stand with our sisters across the globe who are fighting for their rights in and outside of the workplace. Gender inequality is a trade union issue, and we must acknowledge how it exacerbates labor exploitation, especially in agriculture.
To commemorate IWD, we sat down with FLOC member and leader Yvonne so that she could share her experiences as a farmworker in the U.S.. Read her message to supporters and her union sisters across the globe below.
“It is important for women to participate in the union to assert their rights and to defend ourselves because there has been discrimination due to us being women, and there is an incorrect belief that we are not capable of doing field work but we are capable of doing that and more. With the help of the union, we have been able to show that united we can all do more.
To all women I would say that together we can defend our rights, but not only for ourselves, but for each member of FLOC, because men and women are equal.
We will not give up, until victory comrades.”
Our sisters who work in agriculture are fighting layers of systemic oppression. Research has shown that women farmworkers in the United States experience instances of sexual harassment and violence at some of the highest levels compared to other occupations. One Oxfam Survey found that 80% of women farmworkers in the U.S. experienced some form of sexual violence at work. At FLOC, our collective bargaining agreement has robust protections against gendered-based violence, a strong grievance mechanism and zero tolerance for any forms of sexual harassment or assault.
In the fight against gender inequality, we must center those who have the least amount protections. We must support our sisters who work in informal spaces and often lack the right to organize.
This International Women’s Day, support our grassroots organizing for an economic system that is fair, just and equitable.