Mónica Ramírez is the daughter and granddaughter of migrant farmworkers. She was born, raised, and lives in a rural community in Ohio where her family settled out of the migrant stream. An American activist, author, civil rights attorney, entrepreneur, and public speaker, Ramírez has been a long-time advocate, organizer, and attorney fighting to eliminate gender-based violence and secure gender equity. For over two decades, she has fought for the civil and human rights of women, children, workers, Latinx community members, and immigrants, specifically addressing the needs of farmworker women across the United States.
In 2003, Ramírez created the first legal project in the United States dedicated to addressing gender discrimination against farmworker women. This project eventually evolved into "Esperanza: The Immigrant Women's Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center." In 2006, Ramirez took another step to combat sexual harassment and discrimination against farmworker women by launching a first-of-its-kind national working group, which led to a national conference on this issue, the publication of a Best Practices Manual, and helped inspire and inform the work of many advocates and lawyers around the country. These efforts gave birth to the award-winning Bandana Project. Ramírez consulted on the documentary “Rape In the Fields” and she has written several groundbreaking reports on gender discrimination in the U.S. food industry, including “Injustice On Our Plates.”
She has founded and co-founded several other major initiatives, including Justice for Migrant Women, where she currently provides advocacy and technical assistance for female farmworkers and low-paid migrant workers, and Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. In November 2017, Ramírez authored the "Dear Sisters" letter, which went viral and helped spark the global TIME'S UP movement. In response to a mass shooting and immigration raids, Ramírez organized the "Querida Familia" letter, which received widespread support and was published in major newspapers. This letter was organized with prominent figures such as Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, Diane Guerrero, Olga Segura, and Alex Martinez Kondracke, and garnered the support of over 200 Latinx leaders.
Year 2019 saw her co-founding The Latinx House, launched at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, to support and celebrate Latino excellence in film and entertainment. She also joined nine other Latina leaders to co-found and launch Poderistas, an organization aimed at uplifting and educating Latinas, while also amplifying their power, potential, and many contributions. Ramírez is recognized as a thought leader and prominent voice in the Latinx community for her long history as an organizer and her innovative approach to advocacy.
Ramírez's work has not gone unnoticed. She has received numerous accolades for her efforts, including Harvard Kennedy School’s first Gender Equity Changemaker Award, the Smithsonian’s 2018 Ingenuity Award, Casa de Esperanza’s National Latina Transformational Leadership Award, LCLAA Central Florida Trabajadoras’ Award, and the Women’s Media Center Solidarity Award. She was also an honoree of the 2019 Women's Media Awards and recognized by the YWCA USA for her leadership at their National Conference Awards in 2019. Ramírez was named to Forbes Mexico’s 100 Most Powerful Women’s 2018 list and included in Time magazine's 'Next 100' list. She is also an inaugural member of the Ford Global Fellowship. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Women’s Law Center, Friends of the Latino Museum and she is a member of The Little Market’s Activists Committee.
Ramírez is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, The Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, and Harvard Kennedy School. She lives in Ohio with her husband and son. Ramírez attended the 75th Golden Globe Awards as a guest of Laura Dern, further emphasizing her significant role as an advocate for women.
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