The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of $1.4 million in grants to support four community organizations in their efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and harassment against underserved and marginalized women workers.
Administered by the department’s Women’s Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration, the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) grants aim to assist survivors and women at high risk for workplace violence and harassment.
“The Biden-Harris administration is changing lives by creating, growing, and supporting good jobs, where workers are safe, respected, and treated fairly. We can only do that by eliminating gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work. The Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity grants announced today represent an important investment toward that goal,” said Acting Secretary Julie Su. “The FARE Grant program helps women workers to know their rights, create tools to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment, and by so doing, empower workers and advance gender equity.”
The FARE grant program supports community organizations’ efforts to address gender-based violence and harassment. Workplace violence disproportionately harms women from underserved communities including women of color, LGBTQI+ individuals, women with disabilities, and those affected by persistent poverty.
The grants will have a wide-reaching impact by supporting programs based in California, Massachusetts, and Ohio but serving workers across various states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Oregon.
“Workplace safety is more than preventing hazards such as falls or chemical exposure; it also means freedom from gender-based violence and harassment,” explained Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon. “The Biden-Harris administration has been a champion for ending gender-based violence by releasing the first-ever U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence—a roadmap for a whole-of-government effort to prevent this issue in the U.S., including at work. The Women’s Bureau is committed to continuing this effort through the FARE grants.”
Grant recipients will use FARE funding for several initiatives:
- Creating educational materials centered on worker awareness.
- Developing programs that mitigate risks of workplace gender-based violence.
- Connecting working women with services such as legal assistance.
- Encouraging working women to become focal points in their communities through training or leadership activities.
The following organizations received FARE grants:
| Recipient | City | State | Amount |
|-----------------------------------|---------------|-------|----------|
| Alianza Nacional de Campesinas Inc.| Oxnard | CA | $350,000 |
| Equal Rights Advocates Inc. | San Francisco | CA | $350,000 |
| Health Resources in Action | Boston | MA | $350,000 |
| Justice for Migrant Women | Fremont | OH | $350,000 |
