The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of $1.4 million in funding to support efforts by four community organizations to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and harassment against underserved and marginalized women workers.

Administered by the department’s Women’s Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration, the Fostering Access, Rights and Equity grants will help survivors and women at high risk for violence and harassment in the workplace.

“The Biden-Harris administration is changing lives by creating, growing and supporting good jobs, where workers are safe, respected and treated fairly. We can only do that by eliminating gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work. The Fostering Access, Rights and Equity grants announced today represent an important investment toward that goal,” said Acting Secretary Julie Su. “The FARE Grant program helps women workers to know their rights, create tools to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment, and by so doing, empower workers and advance gender equity.”

The FARE grant program supports community organizations’ efforts to address gender-based violence and harassment. Workplace violence and harassment disproportionately harms women from underserved and historically marginalized communities, including women of color, LGBTQI+ individuals, women with disabilities and women affected by persistent poverty and inequality. 

The grants announced will have wide-reaching impact by supporting programs that – while based in California, Massachusetts and Ohio – will serve workers across the country, with support in states such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina and Oregon.

“Workplace safety is more than preventing hazards such as falls, fires or chemical exposure; it also means freedom from gender-based violence and harassment,” explained Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon. “The Biden-Harris administration has been a champion for ending gender-based violence, releasing the first-ever U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, a roadmap for a whole-of-government effort to prevent and address gender-based violence in the U.S., including at work. The Women’s Bureau is committed to continuing the effort to eliminate gender-based violence in the world of work through the FARE grants.”

Grant recipients will use FARE funding to accomplish the following:

• Create and distribute worker and survivor-centered educational materials to build awareness.
• Develop programs that mitigate risks and prevent workplace gender-based violence and harassment.
• Connect working women with services, benefits and legal assistance.
• Facilitate and encourage working women and survivors to become focal points in their communities through training, guided conversations, leadership circles or other activities.