MEXICO CITY, March 31 (Reuters) – (This Mar 31 story corrects spelling of identify in third paragraph)
The U.S. authorities ought to take stronger motion to combat discrimination and sexual harassment in short-term work packages for migrants, an advocacy group for Mexican girls who complain of such abuse mentioned on Thursday.
Though the U.S. and Mexican governments have held conferences to handle a petition filed on the matter final 12 months, the efforts didn’t go far sufficient, mentioned the Middle for Migrant Rights.
“A 12 months has handed with a number of speak however little motion,” govt director Rachel Micah-Jones instructed reporters on the unveiling of a report despatched to Mexican authorities.
Thursday’s report describes sure agricultural jobs that seem to exclude girls and highlights accusations of sexual harassment they face at work.
“All through my 13 years working on this business, I’ve seen many conditions the place girls endure,” mentioned one of many girls, Daria Hernandez.
In her work at a Maryland crab processing plant, she added, she typically noticed a male supervisor contact and harass girls earlier than threatening to report them or ship them to Mexico in the event that they complained.
Final 12 months’s petition urged Mexico to pursue treatments with U.S. authorities beneath the United States-Mexico-Canada Settlement (USMCA), which has stricter labor provisions than the commerce pact it changed in 2020.
The U.S. Division of Labor and Mexico’s Labor Ministry didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
U.S. and Mexican authorities have beforehand vowed to guard the rights of migrant staff.
Mexico’s authorities may request additional investigation by a dispute decision panel arrange beneath the USMCA, Micah-Jones added.
A type of who signed final 12 months’s petition was Adareli Ponce, who has labored at U.S. chocolate and crawfish companies beneath a brief program.
She mentioned she had by no means heard again a few farming job she utilized for final 12 months, though she later noticed males employed for a similar place and related work.
“I’ve not seen a single lady afforded the identical alternative,” she mentioned within the heart’s newest report, including that many farm job adverts name completely for males.
Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Modifying by Bradley Perrett
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