Members of the nonprofit
9to5 mobilized with hundreds of women immigrants and community leaders from
states across the country for the “We Belong Together Women’s Lobby Day” on
Capitol Hill on June 18. 9to5, We
Belong Together and others advocates are pushing for the passage of immigration
reform central to women’s equality.
The
new senate bill would put close to 10 million workers in the labor force, boost
GDP growth by 5.4 percent by 2033 and increase the Social Security Trust Fund
by more than $200 billion, according to gerogiastatesignal.com. In total
savings, the government predicts up to $1 trillion for the estimated 10 million
additional taxpayers that comprehensive immigration reform could bring.
Having
passed the senate committee, the immigration reform bill is now headed to the
full senate, who will review the bill today.
Julie Nguyen of 9to5
Atlanta was in Washington DC advocating for immigration reform that addresses
women’s priorities. This is a roadmap to citizenship that recognizes women’s
work, keeps families together, protects women on the job, ensures due process
and protects survivors of violence and trafficking.
This issue is close to
the heart of Nguyen, a 31-year-old grad student studying social work at Georgia
State University, who eventually became a naturalized U.S. citizen after her
family migrated to this country from Vietnam in 1986. She believes the current
immigration process discriminates against immigrant women making them more
susceptible to exploitation and abuse.
Part of collective
nationwide action, 9to5 is lifting up the voices of women—immigrant and non-immigrant—to
stand up for reforms that will fix the current immigration system, protect
women from abuse and reunite families. Any solution requires a rationale,
common-sense and humane policy for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to be
able to apply for legal permanent resident status and citizenship.
They believe a new
immigration system must include the voices and priorities of women because women
comprise 51 percent of people migrating to America. Approximately 60 percent of
undocumented women are in the labor force, the majority working in professions
where employment is informal and difficult to verify. The remaining 40 percent
of undocumented women are at home caring for their families.
Winning justice for
working women for 40 years, 9to5 leads the way to create a powerful force for
change on issues affecting low-wage women and their families. Through hands-on
leadership development, grassroots organizing and policy advocacy, 9to5
organizes women in campaigns for family-supporting jobs with living wages and
paid sick days; and stronger protections against workplace discrimination. 9to5
is one of the largest, most respected national membership organizations of
working women in the U.S. To learn more or to get involved, visit 9to5.org
and find them on Facebook and Twitter.