— Morgan Dewey, Oregon Food Bank PR Manager, worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault before joining Oregon Food BankShifting from supporting survivors to working at Oregon Food Bank reinforced how gender justice and food justice are integral parts of the same movement. It's not about connecting them with a bridge; they're naturally woven together. Safety and wellness mean building communities where everyone can shape their own path, like picking ingredients for a good meal — a journey we all share, where well-being is our common story.
Hunger and Humanity: Gender Justice and Our Vision for Hunger-Free Communities
Hunger and Humanity: Gender Justice and Our Vision for Hunger-Free Communities
At Oregon Food Bank, we envision resilient communities throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington that never go hungry, and we know it will take more than food alone to get there. We have to dismantle the unjust systems — like poverty, racism, colonialism and sexism — that allow hunger to happen.
We firmly believe in the pursuit of Food Justice — that everyone in our communities should have access to nourishing, locally-sourced and ethically-produced food. This means distributing food is not enough to solve hunger — we must address the challenges that prevent people from accessing the resources we need to thrive.
Gender & Hunger in Oregon
The labor for food justice and gender justice are directly connected. Alongside women who are single moms and/or caregivers, transgender and gender expansive communities experience some of the highest rates of food insecurity nationwide — especially those of us who are Black, Indigenous or other People of Color.
Women in the United States are more likely to live in poverty than men — and poverty is worse and more pervasive for Black, Latiné and Indigenous women, women who are disabled, and LGBTQIA2+ women.
One-in-three single mothers in Oregon live in poverty — with Black, Indigenous and Latiné single moms experiencing poverty at higher rates than their white counterparts.
Single mothers face the highest food insecurity rates in the United States and the majority earn incomes below the poverty line.
Nearly one in three transgender adults with children at home don’t regularly have enough food to eat — three times the rate of cisgender men living in similar family situations.
The intersection of systemic racism and cissexism fuels higher rates of poverty for all trans people of color, and poverty is more pervasive for those who are Black or Indigenous. Nearly 2 out of 3 transgender people of color reported being food insecure in 2021.
Anti-trans discrimination fuels poverty in our region, with one in five Oregonians reporting being fired from a job because of their gender identity or expression. Nearly one in four trans Oregonians experienced some form of housing discrimination, such as being evicted from their home or denied a home or apartment because of their gender identity.
Oregon Food Bank Staff on Gender Justice
Coming from working in Reproductive Justice I know that access to receiving care is difficult and that holding different identities exacerbates the gap in receiving care. Oftentimes receiving care is put aside to meet other basic needs but we know that no one should have to choose on what need to fulfill. People shouldn't have to go hungry or have to go without receiving care. Our communities deserve to thrive and not be kept from accessing what they need because of unjust systems.
— Evelyn Estrada Guzman, Oregon Food Bank Statewide Organizing Manager applies her Reproductive Justice lens at Oregon Food Bank
Addressing Gender Disparities & Discrimination
These historic inequities make it clear that sexism, gender-based oppression and racism have long driven hunger and poverty in our communities. And these drivers continue today in many forms, from the gender wage gap and broader undervaluation of women’s labor, to attacks on access to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare, to domestic and sexual violence. Coupled with our own lived experiences, the recent rise in efforts to marginalize women and trans communities tells us that to truly end hunger, we must address gender disparities and discrimination as a root cause of food insecurity.
These are big challenges that can’t be solved through food alone. Yet with thousands of anti-hunger activists alongside more than a million people engaged with our food assistance network, there’s no community better positioned to meet these challenges head-on. We know that, together, we can address these root causes — and end hunger for good in Oregon.
Resources & Opportunities to Advance Food & Gender Justice
Community Leaders & Support
Basic Rights Oregon: Basic Rights has operated a dedicated Transgender Justice program since 2007. Through their legislative and policy work, as well as their educational outreach and community organizing, they’ve sought to achieve their mission of legal and lived equality for trans people.
Black & Beyond the Binary Collective: Black & Beyond the Binary Collective builds the leadership, healing, and safety for Black - African transgender, queer, nonbinary, two-spirit, and intersex (TQN2SI+) Oregonians.
Bridge 13: Bridge 13 provides educational workshops on the concerns/needs and joy/celebrations of LGBTQIA2S+ communities, with particular focus on how to better serve, support, and affirm LGBTQIA2S+ youth and individuals.
Portland Two-Spirit Society: Portland Two Spirit Society is a social group for LGBTQI Native American/Alaska Natives and their families.
Native Justice Coalition, Two-Spirit Taskforce: Their Two-Spirit program engages in decolonizing gender roles and identities within our Native and First Nations communities.
Northwest 2-Spirit Society: NWTSS' Mission is to educate society regarding First Nation and Two-Spirit histories and traditions, to ensure community cohesion through the promotion of health, Two-Spirit visibility, and to provide training and outreach to the Native and non-Native communities of the Northwest.
Q Center: Q Center provides community-based support for LGBTQ2SIA+ community members seeking connection and resources.
Utopia Portland: Utopia Portland’s vision is to restore and reimagine the vital roles of QTPIs within our communities and ensure a world that values, nurtures, respects and celebrates QTPIs in our navigation of self-determination and empowerment.
Additional Learning
