Fighting for Hygiene Access for Female Farmworkers

Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez Highlights Need for Basic Hygiene Access for Female Farmworkers

SACRAMENTO — They walk the fields in triple-digit temperatures picking fresh strawberries for your table, Their hands caked in dirt, female farmworkers toil tirelessly to provide for their families yet lack access to basic hygiene products. Think about that for a second.

Today, Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio, highlighted AB 2082, legislation to expand access to menstrual hygiene products for women working in California’s agricultural sector.

AB 2082 would require the California Department of Public Health to partner with local nonprofits to help provide free menstrual hygiene products in rural and agricultural communities, where access to basic health resources is often limited.

“Women working in our fields should not have to go without basic hygiene products during a full workday,” said Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez. “This is about health, dignity, and making sure no one is left behind simply because of where they work.”

More than 100,000 women work in California agriculture, many in remote communities with limited access to basic health resources. AB 2082 aims to close that gap by working through trusted local organizations already serving farmworker families