Mónica hails from a farmworker family that settled out of the migrant stream to live year-round in rural Ohio. She is a long-time advocate, organizer, social entrepreneur and attorney fighting to eliminate gender-based violence and secure gender equity. For over two decades, she has fought for the civil and human rights of women, children, workers, Latinos/as and immigrants.
In 2003, Mónica created the first legal project in the United States dedicated to addressing gender discrimination against farmworker women, which she scaled to create Esperanza: The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
In addition to founding Justice for Migrant Women, she co-founded Alianza Nacional de Campesinos and served until President of their Board until 2018. In her capacity as Alianza's Board President, Mónica wrote the letter that was published in TIME magazine from farmworker women to women in the entertainment industry. It has been credited with helping to spark the creation of the TIME’S UP movement.
Mónica is recognized as a thought leader and prominent voice in the Latinx community. She has been awarded numerous awards for her work, including Harvard Kennedy School’s inaugural Gender Equity Changemaker Award, the Feminist Majority’s Global Women’s Rights Award, and inclusion on Forbes Mexico's 2018 list of 100 Powerful Women, among other distinctions.
Mónica is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, The Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law and Harvard Kennedy School.
Follow her @MonicaRamirezOH on Twitter and @activistmonicaramirez on Instagram.
Kelley Bruner is the daughter and granddaughter of small peanut farmers in rural northwest Florida where she became intimately aware of the reality of the rural poor and the harmful impact of the discriminatory policies and practices that impact the people of color and the marginalized in the deep South still today.
It was this personal awareness with some of these injustices that led Kelley to become a civil rights attorney. She was determined to fight for justice and to push for the expansion of rights for those who have been left out or disenfranchised over the years.
Kelley is a seasoned civil rights litigator. She has handled employment cases on behalf of migrant workers, personal injury cases against hate groups who targeted immigrants, as well as cases involving violations by law enforcement and other authorities aimed at depriving individuals of their rights.
Kelley spent the majority of her legal career litigating cases with famed civil rights lawyer, Morris Dees. In addition to this, Kelley is exceptionally skilled with creating common sense systems that help ensure that technology can best meet the needs of lawyers and their clients.
In addition to her legal work, Kelley has managed the large budget of a local PTA, as well as compliance and governance matters related to a non-profit charity. Most recently, Kelley has supported Justice for Migrant Women's policy and campaign work and administrative initiatives.
Kelley is a graduate of Florida State University and New York University School of Law.
Follow her @KelleyBrunerDC on Twitter and Instagram.
Justice for Migrant Women's Advisory Board is an informal group of advisors comprised of women who work and/or worked as migrant workers. This group of women provide feedback on Justice for Migrant Women's strategy and plans as well as other insight. The purpose of the Board is to ensure that Justice for Migrant Women's work remains grounded in the historical experience of migrant women workers while creating a more just and equitable future.