Our Objective

The mission of Líderes Campesinas is to develop leadership among campesinas so that they serve as agents of political, social and economic change in the farmworker community. This leadership has created an organization by and for campesinas. The approach emphasizes capacity building, democratic decision-making, advocacy, peer training and leadership development as well as a mixture of traditional and innovative education, outreach and mobilizing methods such as house meetings, arts, and theatrical presentations at community venues.

Our Identity

Campesinas themselves take the lead in developing the structure and the culture of the organization. The structure of the organization includes a Board of Directors, which is composed of an elected representative and an alternate from each of the nine local campesina committees; a representative of the Statewide Youth Advisory Committee and professionals acquainted or former farmworkers; the chapters are located in various regional rural areas, including Coachella, Imperial and Salinas Valleys and Ventura, Madera, Merced, Santa Cruz and Fresno Counties.

Daniela replaces the founding executive director, Mily Treviño Saucedo. Daniela Ramirez has over 13 years of experience in strategic planning, fundraising and grant writing, research and community building in nonprofit organizations both in the U.S and Mexico. Most recently, Daniela worked in Chihuahua, Mexico as a community organizer in collaboration with the indigenous Tarahumara Indians on civil liberties and human conditions.

Our Board of Directors

Lilia N. Chávez
Title: President, Imperial Valley Representative
Address: 1690 W. Adams Apt. #2, El Centro, CA 92243
Phone: (760) 604-4094

Guadalupe Miranda
Title: Vice President, Salinas Representative
Address: 530 Roosevelt St. Apt. "C", Salinas, CA 93905
Phone: (831) 424-1171

Laura P. Gil
Title: Treasurer, Ventura County Representative
Address: 1266 South "G" Street, Oxnard, CA 93033
Phone: (805) 486-0888

María I. Castro
Title: Watsonville Representative
Address: 262 Maher Road, Watsonville, CA 95076
Phone: (831)768-7449

Herminia Arenas
Title: Delegate, Madera
Address: 100 West Adell St. #112 Madera, CA 93638
Phone: (559) 675-1349

Alicia Vasquez
Title: Adolescent Statewide Advisory Committee Representative
Address: 100 West Adell St. #112 Madera, CA 93638
Phone: ((559) 675-1349

María Elena Kissell
Title: Merced County Representative
Address: 830 California St. Winton, CA 95348
Phone: (209) 777-0097

Esperanza Guzmán
Title: Delegate, Coachella Valley
Address: 83-669 Lapis Dr. Coachella, CA 92236
Phone: (760)398-3406

Lola Gaxiola
Title: Huron Representative
Address: P.O. Box 768, Huron, CA 93234
Phone: (559) 945-2006

Jennifer Hernandez
Title: Member of the Board ? Expert

Gustavo Aguirre
Title: Member of the Board ? Expert

Judy Cervantes
Title: Member of the Board ? Expert

Elizabeth Cordero
Title: Member of the Board ? Expert

Our Short & Long-Term Goals

The organizations principal goal is to form a network of communication throughout the state of California to promote the development of a united effort between campesinas and other groups who advocate the rights of the campesina community. Líderes Campesinas attempts to secure the progression of programs that help other campesinas discover their own capacity to be a leader and to know their rights as a member of a family, local community, state, nation, and global community.

Líderes Campesinas continues to reach our goals by abiding by the following strategies: helping and coordinating existing groups of campesinas and those that are about to form; promoting and supporting the development of these groups? leadership skills forming a network of farm-working women.

Our Guidelines to Success

The philosophy of Líderes Campesinas involves the recognition of campesinas as community assets and resources. Using our own expertise and community knowledge, we continually reflect on the mission, creating and developing programs that tie into the external environment, the overall vision of the organization and real community needs.

The product of our continuous evaluation and planning is a thoughtful synthesis of ideas, dialogue and action that results in progressively more effective means to disseminate critical information, empower, transform the community, and achieve positive social change. We continually provide train-the-trainer type educational workshops to our staff and members, as well as access to external learning opportunities at conferences and meetings.

Líderes Campesinas has worked with service providers and regulatory/enforcement agencies to ensure that their programs and services are within the cultural context to effectively reach the farmworker community.

Our Awards & Certifications

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Twenty Years of Supporting Farmworker Women in the Struggles for Equal Rights", 2008.
• Awarded on the "The 65th Annual Professional Agriculture Workers Conference" by the University Tuskegee, December 4, 2007.
• Awarded the "I Care" by the Ventura County Partnership for Safe Families & Communities, 2006.
• "Ellie Liston Crime Victim's Assistance Award" by the Ventura County District Attorney, April 14, 2005.
• Awarded the 2001 as Central Valley Honored by California Latino Civil Rights Network, 2001.
• "2001 Outreach Award," by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2001.
• Catholic Human Campaign Award, "Commitment to Help People to Help Themselves", 2001.
• Awarded the 1998 Crime Victim Service Award by Office for Victims of Crimes in the U.S. Dept. of Justice
• Award Honor Roll, by the California Women?s Bureau, Department of Labor, September 1996
• Award by the California Women?s Bureau, Department of Labor, September 1996.
• Awarded by the Bureau of Primary Health Care?s Migrant Health Program in recognition of the Project?s exemplary achievements and longstanding contributions to migrant health, 1995.
• Awarded the Marshall Domestic Peace Prize, by Family Prevention Fund and Marshalls? Stores, October 1995.