We need to protect the ones who sustain us. Campesinas are risking their lives to put food on our tables while they struggle to feed their own families, lack access to protective equipment and are unable to practice social distancing. The vast majority cannot access financial protections put forth by the federal government.
“…the work does not stop. We were told that we have to continue working. They gave us a letter that says that we are essential workers. One fear we have is that we don’t have a driver’s license. They told us that if we have the letter, at the moment that we get stopped by the police and get asked for our license, well we travel in fear of being out in the street. We all need your help and especially those who have small children who have to leave them at home in order to work. We hope we get some help. We hope there will be help for all.” – Ruzelia, Farmworker
RISE IN SOLIDARITY WITH FARMWORKERSTHE ESSENTIAL WORKERS PUTTING FOOD ON OUR TABLES IN THE FACE OF COVID-19
The rapid spread of Coronavirus across the globe has revealed what has always been a glaring truth for so many of the essential workers who are the backbone of our society: inequity. From the people who pick our food to the people who deliver our packages, it is the working class and poor who are most vulnerable to the virus and the economic disaster that COVID-19 has laid bare.
V-Day and One Billion Rising have partnered with Alianza Nacional de Campesinas / National Farmworkers Women’s Alliance for many years on our intersectional work to end violence against all women and girls, and our Women Workers Rising initiatives.
Let us RISE in support of Alianza and farmworkers as they face unprecedented risks in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no standard for safety orientation. Sometimes we’re hearing they just get a five-minute talk – stay six feet apart, don’t do this, don’t do that – but we are still working in big crowds. It feels like it’s not being taken seriously because the money is more important.” – Irene De B, Farmworker
The daily life of a farmworker is tough on any given day but in the context of the Coronavirus it is even harder. According to The Guardian, in California, the state’s 400,000 plus farmworkers are exempt from shelter in place measures and do not have the option of working from home. If they stay home for fear of being infected they risk losing their jobs.
The days are long. Early mornings and full days mean that by the time a farmworker is off shift and gets to the store the shelves are empty. Many are living on the edge of hunger. And working conditions do not allow for social distancing, which has shown to be an effective defense against the virus. Many farmworkers travel to and from work in packed vans and live in crowded housing; social distancing is a luxury they cannot afford. And while these essential workers are picking the nation’s food, they are without access to soap and water and protective masks and gloves. In addition, if they fall sick, they do not have access to benefits like paid sick leave to stay home.
For farmworkers – many of whom are women – the choice is between earning their daily wage and being without shelter and food for their families. The Trump administration’s inhumane immigration policies further heighten these hardships – when undocumented farm workers fall sick, many are fearful to seek out testing and health support because they do not want to be detained. Without testing and care, their own health and that of other farmworkers is put at risk.
With women and their families, the situation is dire – they are often forced to leave their young children at home in the care of older siblings because the schools are closed. This situation, as well as the fact that domestic violence and rape crisis providers are having to revise services because of the pandemic, means that farmworker women are ever more vulnerable to violence and abuse.
Read the full blog post on OneBillionRising.org’s website