Gender equality concept as woman hands holding a white paper sheet with male and female symbol over a crowded city street background


Sexual violence is all too common for female janitorial staff who work the night shift alone. In an effort to gain better protection, more than 150 janitors and community supporters marched the streets of California on Thursday, the day before Employee Appreciation Day and three days before National Women's Day.

The marches on the streets of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose are part of Service Employees International Union’s (SEIU) campaign for better protections against sexual assault and a new contract for immigrant workers, reports NBC San Diego.

Janitors and lawmakers in California have made some progress in recent years related to the prevention of employee rights and sexual harassment issues. The state passed a stricter wage theft law and laws that force all janitors to receive sexual violence training. All janitorial contractors are required  to register with the state.