It’s not a secret for anyone that work in the fields is one of the hardest jobs in the country, especially when it is done under extreme heat or cold. But what is often kept a secret about work in the fields is the problem of sexual harassment and assault, which often begins with verbal abuse and can end with rape. Today we offer the first of two features about this topic, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, in collaboration with KQED, San Francisco public radio. In this first installment, Grace Rubenstein investigates the extensiveness of the problem of sexual abuse among farm workers and the obstacles victims face to report it.
This series was reported in collaboration with KQED, the Center for Investigative Reporting, and the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program. For more information on the series, visit the webpage cironline.org/rapeinthefields.