Recently, a second grader sparked a whirlwind of conversation on the blogs and cable media when she asked First Lady Obama whether it is true that President Obama wants to send back all the people without papers, including the young girl’s mother.

Check out the video here:

Her story is a reminder of the real-life impact of immigration on women and families, voices that are often overshadowed in the policy debates and heated rhetoric.

Immigrant women make up more than half of the nation’s immigrant population, and, according to New America Media are increasingly becoming the breadwinners and primary caretakers for their families. And the U.S. Census Bureau reports that women are often the ones to initiate the citizenship process for their spouse and children.

Yet, there has been little to no gender perspective within immigration reform debates.  It’s as if women’s concerns and needs are an afterthought, if a thought at all, in policy circles and the media.

Immigrant women face unique challenges.  Gender biased visa requirements make them dependent on a male partner’s visa to remain in the country. Immigrant women detained for alleged violations have been known to endure extreme physical and emotional abuse, such as during labor and delivery. And fearful of documentation questions, too often immigrant women, particularly Latinas, forego reproductive health care and put their lives at risk. Latinas have the second highest cervical cancer mortality rate.

To challenge the traditional immigration perspective and stereotypes, Camino PR has been working with the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) to develop communications strategies and messaging that inserts the voices and demands of immigrant women in immigration reform debates.

Led by three leading national advocacy organizations-- the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health--- and comprised of grassroots groups from across the country, NCIWR has called on the Obama administration and policy makers to create family-friendly immigration policies, health care reforms, and labor protections on behalf of immigrant women as part of Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

And it’s clear that this work is needed. Camino PR worked with NCIWR to develop messages and signs for the national immigration march held in Washington, D.C. in late March. The messages elevated the conversation from policy wonk to fundamental human rights: a woman’s right to dignity and to family.

According to NCIWR, “within minutes of setting up a sign distribution station on the National Mall, women, men and families were flocking to our tables to take signs.  Even among the tens of thousands of signs being waved, ours could be glimpsed in some media coverage.  We heard many “thank you’s” and “it’s about time” from women on the mall who were so grateful that their unique needs were being recognized.”

The drumbeat for immigrant women’s rights is beginning thanks to NCIWR. It’s about time.