Projects & Policy

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Health & Safety of Women Agricultural Workers in the Yakima Valley (2012-2013): We learned about the sexual harassment experiences of farmworker women and developed a prevention campaign. (Principal Investigator: Dr. Catherine Karr; Director: Dr. Breckwich Vasquez)

Cultural and Communication Perspectives from the Agricultural Sector about Sexual Harassment Prevention and Training (2014-2016): We held seven focus groups comprised of farmworker women, farmworker men and supervisors. We developed and incorporated messaging and communication into our video project. (Principal Investigator: Dr. Breckwich Vasquez)

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Video (2015-2019): Together with farmworker women and multiple community partners and funders, we developed and disseminated a worksite Training Video & Curriculum that ultimately became the ¡BASTA! Curriculum. 

POLICY/ADVOCACY PROJECTS

WA State Biennium (2021-2023) Budget Proviso, Preventing Farmworker Sexual Harassment through Peer Training (2 parts): 

1. ¡BASTA! Peer Trainings: Farmworkers train each other about sexual harassment in these specialized peer-trainings throughout the state. Trainers must be peers from the same industries as the workers themselves. Peers who have direct experience of the workplace context as well as common cultural and language background with workers can provide a deeper quality of training. 

2. Statewide Farmworker Leadership Network: Peer-trained farmworkers from our ¡BASTA! Peer Trainings from communities across Washington will form a network of leaders who will advance anti-harassment awareness efforts and advocacy. This group will connect farmworkers with each other to address workplace sexual harassment and other urgent issues impacting them.

Farmworker Protection from COVID-19: We authored an article published in a local newspaper to raise awareness about the injustices farmworkers have faced in the agricultural workplace regarding COVID-19 precautions and prevention/mitigation strategies: 

Gamboa, Saldana and Guillen. 2020. State must do more to protect farmworkers’ health: State health and labor agencies must do more to enforce laws meant to protect workers during the pandemic. Commentary.  Everett Herald (Aug 9, 2020): https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/commentary-state-must-do-more-to-protect-farmworkers-health/  

EDUCATION & TRAINING PROJECTS

¡BASTA! Worksite Training & Toolkit: toolkit is a comprehensive worksite resource developed in collaboration with the agricultural community using a community-based participatory research approach. It includes training videos, trainer’s guide, guidance for workplace policies and procedures, workplace posters and key resources. The training video centers around the story of a farmworker and the challenges she faces when she experiences harassment in the workplace. Her story highlights what to do if you experience or witness harassment: who to report to and what information to share. The curriculum also acknowledges the trauma of sexual violence and how cultural barriers can inhibit workers from coming forward. The toolkit takes a multi-level approach by underscoring the roles and responsibilities everyone has for preventing harassment from the growers to the supervisors and the workers. The ¡BASTA! Worksite Training and Toolkit is a well-researched and evidence-based curriculum that was recently awarded Health Education Materials Award for training by the American Public Health Association. 

¡BASTA! Trainings: ¡BASTA! Trainings for agricultural workers focus on the prevention of sexual harassment in the agricultural labor sector in Washington State. Completion of the BASTA training and a successful post-survey allows students to obtain a certification of completion. These trainings are currently co-organized with the UW Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center. 

Sexual Harassment Prevention Wallet Cards: These wallet-sized, laminated cards, originally designed with and for farmworkers in 2013, contain information pertaining to sexual harassment and worker rights regarding sexual harassment within the workplace. See PNASH for more information to adapt/order.

Radionovela (4:51 minutes): A Spanish language novel adapted for radio focused on Sexual Harassment Prevention was developed in collaboration with NCEC/Radio KDNA in Yakima WA. It follows the story of a female farmworker encountering sexual harassment and includes tips on identifying, preventing, and reporting the harassment. 

Training (WA) Advocates on Sexual Harassment (TASH) Project 2020: In collaboration with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, we adapted the BASTA! Training for advocate audiences in Washington and trained 32 advocates throughout the state. We certified 8 individuals.