FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2026
Contact: media@iwpr.org
The following is a statement from Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, on the passing of Dolores Huerta.
The IWPR community, along with all who knew, loved, and were impacted by the life and work of Dolores Huerta, mourns her passing. While we are saddened by this tremendous loss, we are deeply grateful for her extraordinary life and enduring legacy.
Earlier this year, during Women’s History Month, IWPR honored Dolores’s lifelong commitment to dismantling the barriers that denied farmworkers, especially women, access to economic opportunity. Her leadership in the labor movement was nothing short of legendary. Equally inspiring was her unwavering courage in sharing her own experiences of sexual abuse, reminding us that the fight for justice often comes at a profound personal cost.
““We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things. That is what we are put on Earth for.””
Through our work to eliminate structural barriers and advance women’s full participation in society, we will continue the path that Dolores forged. We owe her a tremendous debt for the sacrifices she made in the pursuit of dignity and freedom. Because of her tireless fight for equality, in many ways, we have inherited a better place to live.
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The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is the nation’s leading think tank working to win economic equity for all women. Through evidence-based research, policy solutions, and advocacy, IWPR is advancing the power and well-being of women across the US. Learn more at IWPR.org.