Workplace sexual assault of indigenous farmworkers in Oregon: Qualitative and quantitative data analysis

The Project to Prevent Workplace Sexual Assault of Indigenous Farmworkers, a project of the Oregon Law Center, Virginia Garcia Medical Center and Pineros y Campesinos del Noroeste, aims to develop a model network of protective strategies and culturally appropriate care for victims of workplace sexual violence, with the ultimate aim of reducing the incidence of workplace sexual assault and harassment of indigenous farmworkers in Oregon. Indigenous farmworkers are workers who have migrated from communities that are indigenous to Mexico or Central America and have cultural and linguistic histories that are different from Latinos. Isolated by linguistic, cultural, and economic barriers, they often lack access to legal and health resources. To address these needs, the Project has developed a multi-track community education program, a model clinic protocol for screening and treating indigenous sexual assault victims, and a training curriculum for health providers, among other strategies. To address the paucity of data about this emerging population's exposure to sexual harassment in the workplace, the Project has conducted focus groups and a survey of 250 farmworker women in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The presenter will share key results that shed light on indigenous farmworkers' demographics, economic circumstances, and unique cultural characteristics and health care beliefs, as well as their experiences of sexual assault and harassment and their barriers to reporting these incidents and accessing health care and other services. The presenter will also share suggestions and lessons learned from the Project's efforts to improve the connections between indigenous farmworkers and health care providers.