U.S. government urged to toughen protections for women in temporary work programs
April 1, 2022, 9:29 am

U.S. government urged to toughen protections for women in temporary work programs

Time square in New York city, USA (File photo: Pixabay)

Reuters reported, an advocacy group for Mexican women who complain of such abuse said on Thursday, the U.S. government should take stronger action to fight discrimination and sexual harrassment in temporary work programs for migrants.

The Center for Migrant Rights, although the U.S. and Mexican governments have held meetings to address a petition filed on the matter last year, the efforts did not go far enough.

Executive director Rachel Michah-Jones told reporters at the unveiling of a report sent to Mexican authorities: "A year has passed with lots of talk but little action."

Thursday's report describes certain agricultural jobs that appear to exclude women and highlights accusations of sexual harassment they face at work.

One of the women, Daria Hernandez, said: "Throughout my 13 years working in this industry, I have seen many situations where women suffer."

An advocacy group for Mexican women who complain of such abuse said on Thursday 31-03-2022, the U.S. government should take stronger action to fight discrimination and sexual harrassment in temporary work programs for migrants (File photo: Pixabay)

She added that in her work at a Maryland crab processing plant, she often saw a male supervisor touch and harass women before threatening to report them or send them to Mexico if they complained.

Last year's petition urged Mexico to pursue remedies with U.S. authorities under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which has stricter labor provisions than the trade pact it replaced in 2020.

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The U.S. Department of Labor and Mexico's Labor Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

U.S. and Mexican authorities have previously vowed to protect the rights of migrant workers.

Micah-Jones added, Mexico's government could request further investigation by a dispute resolution panel set up under the USMCA.

One of those who signed last year's petition was Adareli Ponce, who has worked at U.S. chocolate and crawfish businesses under a temporary program.

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She said she had never heard back about a farming job she applied for last year, although she later saw men hired for the same position and similar work.

She said in the center's latest report, adding that many farm job ads call exclusively for men: "I have not seen a single woman afforded the same opportunity."

Source: reuters

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.