Mónica Ramírez, Esq.

“Sexual harassment, assault, and exploitation are issues that are bigger than any one person or any one industry. Ending these problems requires all of us working together in a concerted, strategic manner. Farmworker women have been standing up and speaking out against sexual violence in the workplace for decades. We now proudly stand in our power with our sisters in the entertainment industry and everyone committed to ending these abuses. We are unwavering in our dedication to ensuring that all people can work with dignity under safe and equitable conditions, whether they are working in the agricultural fields across our nation, on the big screen or any other place.” 

— Mónica Ramírez

MÓNICA RAMÍREZ, Esq., Co-founder and President of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas

Mónica Ramírez is the daughter and granddaughter of migrant farmworkers. She is  the Co-founder and President, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas (National Farmworker Women’s Alliance was, until recently, also the Director of Latinas Represent, for the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, and the Deputy Director for the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)

Mónica has served farmworker, Latina and immigrant women as an organizer, advocate and activist for more than two decades and is recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in the movement to end gender based violence in the workplace and to achieve gender equity. In addition, she has represented farmworker and low-paid immigrant women in civil rights and employment cases. Mónica employs a holistic, victim-centered approach to her work and she is an ardent supporter of worker-led movements. She also has a long history promoting women’s leadership and political power, including leading Latinas Represent, the only national non-partisan initiative focused on increasing Latina representation and participation in public leadership positions. 

On November 10, 2017, Mónica wrote the open-letter addressed to women workers in the entertainment industry that went viral after being published in Time Magazine with the headline "700,000 Female Farmworkers Say They Stand With Hollywood Actors Agains Sexual Assault."  With the letter acknowledging their shared experience of suffering from wide-spread workplace sexual violence, and the paralyzing fear that triggers silence, it changed the national conversation.  On January 1, 2018, the TIME’S UP campaign responded to Alianza’s letter and announced their decision to create the TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund "to help survivors of sexual assault and harassment across all industries challenge those responsible for the harm against them and give voice to their experiences.”  Mónica attended the 2018 Golden Globes with award-winning actress Laura Dern, along with other leading advocates and activists for gender and racial justice, in solidarity to put an end to sexual violence. She appeared on TODAY with America Ferrara to discuss these issues and has been featured widely in the media.

Mónica was the first attorney in the United States to specifically represent Farm Worker Women against sexual harassment and other forms of gender discrimination. She is the founder of several major initiatives and projects, including Esperanza: The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center and The Bandana Project, an art activism project aimed at raising awareness about sexual violence against farmworker women.  Mónica also serves as a consultant to lawyers, advocates and others on how to best support and represent farmworker women who are victims of workplace sexual violence. Until recently, she served as the Deputy Director of Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. Mónica was appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission for Women in October 2017.  She has received numerous awards for her work and has been featured in national and international media. She is an author and frequent public speaker.

Launched on March 6, 2018, Mónica is a founding member of ReflectUS, a non-partisan coalition of eight organizations –  Empowered Women, Higher Heights, IGNITE, LatinasRepresent, RepresentWomen, She Should Run, VoteRunLead and Women Influencers Network – a data-driven effort to fast-track gender representation across all political offices from commissioners to courtrooms, to municipal offices, and state capitals to Washington, D.C. The ground-breaking coalition is designed to increase the number of women elected to office and achieve representation in politics for women from across the ideological, racial, ethnic and geographic spectrum.

Mónica holds a Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. She received her undergraduate degree from Loyola University Chicago. Mónica currently serves as the Deputy Director of Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) and, in October 2017, she was appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission for Women.   Mónica is delivered the 2018 International Women’s Day keynote address at the United Nations.

Lecture & Keynote topics include:

SEEDING CHANGE: 
How Farmworker Women are Leading the Fight to End Workplace Sexual Violence from the Fields to Hollywood Studios.

The Power of Latinx Millennials & Shaping Our Political Future

The Power of Latina Leaders: From Community to Politics

Our Broken Immigration System: Women, Violence & Victimization

Leadership Lecture or Workshop:

LEAD AS YOU ARE:
Using Your Power To Make Change

Mónica Ramírez is one of the nation’s leading Latina activists.  Based on her own leadership journey, she presents the top ten skills that every leader should refine for future success.  For Latino audiences, she also talks about the obstacles and opportunities as a Latino leader in the United States.

Alternate title for Latino Audience:
Leading While Latino: Using Your Power to Make Change