Harvesting Hope: Women Farmworkers Rise In Coachella Valley

Content warning: This piece discusses themes of mental health and violence against women, including mentions of suicide and rape.

On a warm April afternoon in the unincorporated community of Thermal, a group of women gather in the open-air garage of a home surrounded by blooming plants. 

Lourdes Contreras, Coachella Valley outreach worker coordinator of Líderes Campesinas — a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women farmworkers in the region — sets up a portable table while warmly greeting the women as they arrive for the monthly meeting, one rooted in solidarity, resilience and shared experiences.

Since its founding in 1992 by Mily Treviño Sauceda and a group of fellow advocates, the nonprofit has grown significantly, now encompassing more than 13 chapters — including in Fresno, Imperial Valley, Madera, Merced and Ventura.

“There was a great need for women to organize, because there was domestic violence [within the farmworkers’ families],” Esperanza Sotelo, who has been with the organization since its inception, said in Spanish.

It’s an issue that once struck painfully close to home, though at the time she said she didn’t recognize her own experience as abuse.

“According to me, I did not experience domestic violence because it has many stages and facets,” she said.

It wasn’t until she began attending the organization’s meetings that she was able to name what she had endured. The gatherings empowered her to set personal boundaries and reclaim her autonomy. 

“I began to educate and re-educate myself about sexual matters,” she said. “I understood that they had to respect me when I said, ‘No.’”

According to a 2021 report on intimate partner violence (IPV) by Esperanza United, about 34% of Latinas will experience IPV during their lifetime, with one in 12 Latinas having experienced IPV in the previous 12 months.

Further emphasizing the severity of the issue, a study published in the Journal of Family Violence found that Hispanic victims of IPV were at a greater risk for mental health issues and suicidal thoughts when compared with their non-Hispanic female counterparts.

Among those who have benefited from the nonprofit’s work is Domitila Clemente, a proud Purépecha woman who has become a respected voice in her community — empowering women to break free from domestic violence and reclaim their lives.

“There are men who, upon seeing me, say, ‘Here comes the lady who advises women not to tolerate mistreatment.’” Clemente said in Spanish. “The positive aspect is that they recognize my support for women, because we are not objects, or as they say in my town, ‘A donkey for them to beat as they please.’”

Since April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the organization is focusing its efforts on addressing sexual harassment. A traveling exhibit put on by the organization displays pillows made by the women of the group with personal messages that reflect on how this issue has impacted them. Those who attend the exhibit will be provided valuable information on the topic — a serious issue facing women farmworkers. 

Elvira Herrera, coordinator of the Violence Against Women Program at Líderes Campesinas, said she receives approximately 15 cases of sexual harassment each month from various chapters of the organization across California. Of those cases, she estimated that about five proceed with legal action. The majority of victims choose not to pursue legal avenues, opting instead for therapy as a path toward healing.

“For us, the most important thing is that they are safe and secure and that they have the opportunity to get therapy, because it is something that affects their personal lives,” said Herrera in Spanish, who added that, in some instances, sexual harassment can escalate into domestic violence.

She recalled one case she worked on in which a woman had been raped. Initially, the woman’s husband responded supportively, but over time, his behavior took a dark turn, and he began to force himself on her. 

“That changed her life,” Herrera said. “After another man raped her, her husband didn’t understand what she was going through. For him, it was like, ‘If someone else did it to you, I can do it too.’”

Later this year, the group will focus its awareness campaign on domestic violence for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Instead of pillows, the traveling exhibit will show aprons adorned with powerful slogans — a poignant  representation of the hidden burdens carried in many households. 

“They often contact us afterward because they can’t speak up in front of their husbands or those who are imposing the violence,” Contreras said. Women farmworkers interested in joining the group or learning more about the organization’s programs can contact Contreras at lourdesc@liderescampesinas.org, visit the Líderes Campesinas website.