Human Rights Watch: Cultivating Fear

A new report by Grace Meng of Human Rights Watch entitled “Cultivating Fear” looks at the high risk of sexual violence and sexual harassment faced by farmworker women and girls. The report, based on interviews across the country, from workers working in a range of crops, reveals stories of rape, groping, stalking, pressure to engage in sexual relations, and verbal abuse, perpetrated by supervisors, foremen, employers, and others in positions of power. The report recommends that Congress pass the Senate version of the Violence Against Women reauthorization bill, and to reject the House version which eliminates many important protections for immigrant victims of crimes.   Below is a short video with testimonies from two farmworker women.

KJ