Justice for Migrant Women Advocates for Mental Health in Washington, D.C.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we are proud to highlight the important work of our client, Justice for Migrant Women (J4MW), which has been actively advocating for the mental health of migrant women and farmworkers. Recently, J4MW traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the mental health needs of migrant women farm workers, a key policy priority for the organization.

J4MW’s commitment to mental health stems from their successful 2021 “Healing Voices” virtual support group program for farmworkers. Building on this initiative, J4MW is now pushing for federal workplace protections for mental health. Their efforts have been recognized nationally, including their contributions to the Department of Labor’s Mental Health Matters: National Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy. In October 2022, J4MW launched a comprehensive survey in partnership with seven organizations to understand better how workplace experiences impact migrant women’s mental health. The findings from this survey have informed their ongoing advocacy efforts.

Ahead of their big advocacy day on May 16, J4MW leadership and advocates arrived in Washington D.C. and were joined by Rachel Motley and Parnian Abunasr-Shiraz for a comprehensive training session to prepare J4MW delegates for effective engagement with policymakers on Capitol Hill and the White House.

On May 16, Mental Health Action Day, J4MW leadership and advocates met with members of Congress and staff to advocate for key provisions in the Farm Bill to ensure it includes mental health support for farm workers. They also sought to secure funding for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and support for the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act (S.1867/H.R. 3922). In light of Mental Health Action Day, J4MW advocates also elevated the findings from the organization’s comprehensive report, presenting crucial data and stories.

The group met with White House Gender Policy Council and Domestic Policy Council staff on May 17, providing an opportunity for the J4MW advocates to share their own directly and their communities’ mental health challenges in the workplace across industries. This meeting focused on using data and storytelling to advocate for funding for mental health support and the establishment of a mental health standard within workplace health and safety regulations. The voices of these women are not just individual accounts but resonate with the collective experiences of many, highlighting the pressing need for mental health support in their communities.