United Workers of the Americas

"United, We Get Things Done!" (Please note that this is a PBL 10th grade World History teacher's sample project wherein students experience creating a FAKE 501(c)3/NGO to create a REAL social media campaign to bring awareness to REAL issues in today's world) Project Mission Statement: UWA is a non-profit organization focused on bringing both white and blue collar working professionals together from North to South America. Our mission is to work to support local unions and non-profits to push for legal change so all workers have access to safe, fair working conditions. -*-*-*-*-*-*- Dani Stephan Guerrero is the 10th grade World History teacher at Da Vinci Communications High School in Hawthorne/El Segundo, CA. She has her MA in history from CSU Fullerton. She has worked for and in partnership with several 501(c)3 organizations and is energized by connecting her students with history through current events and their own passions in life.

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Here’s hoping your Monday was as chill as this cat... 😂

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Since many of us are out shopping today, let's be sure to look into the labor conditions and practices of the stores we give our business to. Are they profiting off child labor? Are their manufacturing processes ACTUALLY environmentally friendly? Watch the most recent episode about Fast Fashion on Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act on YouTube for more.

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US retail employees call out working conditions with Black Friday protests

US retail employees call out working conditions with Black Friday protests

United for Respect holds demonstrations at H&M stores to address retaliation while 45 Guess stores protest mass firing

Since many of us are out shopping today, let's be sure to look into the labor conditions and practices of the stores we give our business to. Are they treating their employees right?

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What Can Be Done?

Let’s break down the numbers... as if human beings could ever just be numbers. Still, some people need data, statistics, cold hard facts to understand issues. So here it is. 40% of all women killed in Latin America are killed in Brazil--most by a husband, boyfriend, or lover. Alison Brysk in her article “Stuck in the Middle: Gender Violence in Brazil” published by the Wilson Center, she goes on to present yet another horrifying number, saying, “over a third of Brazil’s women have suffered battering and sexual assault...” (A Snapshot of the Status of Women in Brazil: 2019).  When sexual assault and femicide are such a widespread issue in Brazil, is it really any wonder that sexual harassment in the workplace is rampant? It is easy to make a connection between sexual violence and sexual harassment. One doesn't happen without the other. 

Sexual harassment, intimidation, and gender discrimination is a huge problem experienced by female journalists in Brazil’s news industry (Mulheres No Jornalismo Brasileiro). Women are regularly catcalled, kissed, and groped on camera. Off-camera they are spat upon, propositioned for sex to get a promotion or material for a story, and sometimes even threatened with rape.

According to Mundo Sindical, “A recent survey by the Federal District Collective of Women Journalists and the local union points out that 74.3% of journalists have experienced sexual harassment at some point in their career. Bullying against female journalists reaches 77.9%.” Just in the last month, female journalists met together in a conference to discuss and debate the actions they can take to protect themselves and each other. In the same article as above, Mundo Sindical also announced the event on October 30, 2019, hosted by SJSP and Coletivo de Jornalistas Sindicato é Pra Lutar! Invited were Brazilian journalists, including Mariana Pereira from the #DeixaElaTrabalhar campaign, and public health specialist, psychologist Claudia Lima.  According to Adriana Franco of SJSP, several journalists shared their experiences of being bullied or sexually harassed. Ponte Jornalisimo’s Maria Tereza Cruz pointed out to attendees that it is very important to stand up for oneself and to let the harasser know that they have crossed a line. In the end, Cruz recommended looking for another source rather than continuing to put oneself in a harassing situation. Lilian Parise, SJSP Union secretary, and discussion panel moderator, encouraged both the many women and few men in attendance to report any harassment they witness to the SJSP Union through a Google Form.

This reporting form is a great start! Women have already banded together and calling out harassers is an important step. It was encouraging to see a few men in the audience at the “Moral and sexual harassment in journalism: how to fight it” panel supporting the women they work with. However, there needs to be more men involved. Good men need to call out men who bully. Good men need to report men who harass. Women can do amazing things, but men must stand up for women too. 

In the end, who knows? Taking a stand might even save lives.

-Dani Stephan Guerrero

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Over a third of Brazil’s women have suffered battering and sexual assault.

Alison Brysk, “Stuck in the Middle: Gender Violence” from A Snapshot of the Status of Women in Brazil: 2019  (https://wilsoncenter.org/publication/snapshot-the-status-women-brazil-2019)

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https://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2018/03/23/politica/1521823054_844544.html

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Samuel on Twitter

“Melhorei o áudio e legendei o esporro que a @juliacgc deu no torcedor folgado e ficou ainda melhor https://t.co/khTvE8rDg5”

From the World Cup in June 2018. A man attempts to kiss this Brazilian sports news reporter and she politely (but furiously) tells him to stop. Thanks to Samuel for making the audio better so we can hear her tell him off!

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Go to http://mulheresnojornalismo.org.br/ for more info (Google can translate most of it for you! Yay!)

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Brazil women reporters call out harassment

More than 50 Brazilian female sports reporters speak out after suffering sexism and on-air groping.

According to BBC, the 52 female journalists who started the #Deixaelatrabalhar (@deixaelatrab on Twitter ) campaign last year were sexually harassed and even had rape threats against them! 

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The latest Tweets from Dani Stephan Guerrero (@DaniGatDVC): "Sexual harassment of female journalists in Brazil is extremely high! Did you kn

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