Why is Hispanic Heritage Month important and more: A Q & A with Ana Lόpez van Balen, VP of Economic Security & Justice
What do you want people to know about the work that you do?
We know that one of the biggest barriers survivors of all forms of gender-based violence face is economic security. So the work that our team does is very much looking at how to increase the economic security and mobility of survivors.
Despite the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence, about two-thirds of companies and organizations don’t have a formal workplace domestic violence prevention policy. Millions of women and men today have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner. And yet most employers don’t know how to respond to an employee who is experiencing violence outside the workplace.
We also want to prevent violence from happening in the first place. We know there’s a lot of unsafe jobs out there. Through our National Resource Center, we want to create workplaces that promote respect, equity, dignity, and safety by recognizing the impact of violence and harassment on workers and the workplace so that workplaces respond with supportive policies and practices, and actively dismantle structures that have perpetuated violence and trauma.
What’s the hardest part of your work?
When we talk about safety in the “world of work,” we are talking about almost every work setting you can imagine. From a faith institution to a local youth sports club to a Fortune 500 company to a nonprofit, the world of work is any location in which employees, paid and unpaid interns, contractors, volunteers, board members, consultants, and temporary workers perform their job duties. That means there’s a lot of work to do! So the hardest part of my work is the gap between knowing what’s possible and figuring out how to create strategies that meet the most vulnerable and impacted workers in our society.
What inspires you to continue this work?
Improved policies around gender-based violence in the world of work will save lives. I am confident in that. So I’m inspired to do this work every day because I know the effect it can and will have on workers and survivors.
Why is Hispanic Heritage month important through the context of your work?
The Latino population in this country is one of the largest growing populations. We know that one in three Latinos are going to experience domestic violence. We also know that many of the most unsafe, low-wage jobs in this country are held by Latinos. Immigration status can complicate things as well making it challenging for people to feel they have the rights to pursue safer employment. So Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to inform the public around the issues of gender-based violence in the Hispanic community. It’s also an opportunity to publicize the resources we have created that support Hispanic workers and survivors in our communities.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
Good food with good friends. Food in many societies provides an opportunity to celebrate, connect and love others—and this is definitely the case in Latino communities. The table facilitates the exchange of food, conversation and helps foster the mutuality we all long for. It is where my family and I connect every day, it is often where we disconnect from the world to be fully who we are. Eating rice and beans or arepas, grounds us in our culture, in our values, and hopefully, leaves us with a happy heart. “Barriga llena, corazon contento!”
