Mónica Ramírez: The Lawyer Who Elevated the Voices of Women Farmworkers

Content note: this episode includes a conversation about sexual violence within movement spaces. Please listen with care.Did you know that 90% of farmworker women reported sexual violence at work as a major problem, and yet, almost no one has built a legal system to protect them? Until Monica Ramírez did. In this episode, Cristy Marrero and Ana Flores sit down with civil rights attorney, activist, and founder of Justice for Migrant Women, Mónica Ramírez: the woman behind the "Dear Sisters" letter that helped ignite the Time's Up movement in 2017. And in a moment you won't want to miss, Mónica speaks openly about how the Dolores Huerta and César Chávez case is so personal for her. What it means to witness a hero fall, how she showed up for her friend Dolores, the pressure she feels as a leader in this moment, and what she believes must happen next.Mónica is the daughter and granddaughter of migrant farmworkers from Fremont, Ohio, where she still lives today. At 49, she is pursuing her PhD while continuing to fight for the women the system has long ignored. She speaks without a filter about her relationship with power, personal wounds, a fallen hero, and what it truly means to win as an activist. In this episode, we talk about:Why Mónica's very first legal project was dedicated to her sisterThe real story behind the "Dear Sisters" letter and who actually had the powerWhat it felt like to be a very young Latina lawyer in rooms that weren't built for herHow is she holding the Dolores Huerta revelation as a leader and as a friendThe grandfather and grandson who completed first grade together during the pandemicWhy giving yourself grace is the advice no one gave us soon enoughHow Mónica is thinking about legacy, and making space for others to leadHer definition of collective powerIf you've ever been the woman who holds everything together and wondered who is holding you, this one is for you.Our podcast is bilingual, so our episodes will be in English, Spanish, or Spanglish, depending on our guests. You'll find them labeled in our feed, or you could use YouTube's dubbing feature to listen your way. Join us on Substack: https://www.herwisdomera.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/her.wisdomera/ And Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@herwisdomera Her Wisdom ERA is hosted and executive produced by Christy Marrero and Ana Flores, Our producer and editorial coach is Laura UbatéTheme music and sound engineering by Stephen Herman from Explosion Robinson, aka El Santo. Social media by Team Belu. Branding by Leticia VidaurriWe are her Wisdom ERA, a global visibility and reinvention platform for Latina women in midlife.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.