( CNN ) -- On Thursday , we will link arms with more than 100 women and claim the street outside the House of Representatives . We will not move until the House recognizes that women and children are at the heart of the immigration debate , and reform must treat them fairly . Women and children constitute three-quarters of all immigrants to the United States , but the debate about immigration reform -- which has stalled in the House -- has largely ignored the disproportionate burden they bear in a system that is failing . Immigrant women make outsize contributions to our families , communities and country . But they are denied core American values -- the right to equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law . Although women make up 51 % of U.S. immigrants , only 28 % of work visas are given to them as principal holders . Women disproportionately work in paperless or informal economies -- as nannies , housekeepers , home health care workers -- that do n't get awarded work visas . These jobs rarely provide proof of employment , such as a pay stub at the end of the week . While many immigrant men face this challenge as well , women are disproportionately affected by it . Immigration reform efforts that link eligibility for citizenship to proof of employment fail to recognize the essential work that many immigrant women provide in these crucial roles . The Senate bill allows for alternative ways to verify employment , such as an affidavit from a church or community-based nonprofit . And a bipartisan group of 13 women senators also recognized the need for a merit-based visa system that would include professions that women predominantly occupy . Unfortunately their amendment did not make it into the Senate bill . Because they so rarely get work visas , most immigrant women enter the United States as dependents on their spouses ' visas and they are prohibited from working . This not only prevents many women from contributing their considerable talents and skills , it makes their immigration status entirely dependent on another person , creating a situation primed for abuse . An immigrant woman in an abusive relationship may not report her spouse to authorities or seek help for fear that she will lose her ability to remain in the country . A comprehensive reform bill should ensure that women have equal opportunity to receive work visas by allocating them among employment categories typically held by women , not just professions typically held by men . As baby boomers reach retirement age , the need for caregivers and domestic workers will skyrocket . Though these jobs are essential and in high demand , they are often less valued than the jobs -- typically held by men -- that are awarded work visas , such as in tech and finance . The way that most women enter the United States is through the family-based visa system . In fact , nearly 70 % of immigrant women attain legal status this way . Unfortunately , the family visa system has an enormous backlog -- about 4 million people are stuck in it , the majority of whom are women and children . Some women are forced to wait for decades before being reunited with their families -- something that is unbearable even to contemplate for most parents . Comprehensive immigration must clear this backlog and keep families together . We were reminded during the 50th anniversary commemoration of the March on Washington that the most difficult and enduring change requires the personal commitment and courage of individuals acting together . As the Rev . Martin Luther King Jr. and other great leaders showed us , from time to time that can mean the willingness to be arrested for standing up for your most deeply held values and beliefs . Inspired by King and the campaigns that made up the civil rights movement , we are putting ourselves on the line at the Capitol as part of a national campaign , We Belong Together , to promote immigration laws that treat women fairly , that reflect our core American values . If they do n't , we are diminished as a nation . Real reform includes a path to citizenship , keeps families together and upholds the family immigration system , provides protections for survivors of violence and against workplace abuses , protects the health and well-being of women and children , honors women 's work inside and out of the home , and is not driven by a focus on enforcement . Every day , immigrant women from all walks of life demonstrate incredible courage and take enormous risks to contribute to the well-being and success of their families and loved ones . They move to the United States to give their children better lives ; they work so that their families will have food on the table ; they take care of the young and the old ; they open businesses . Theirs is a story that defines this country . While the majority of Americans recognize that the time is now to fix our immigration system , the House has not acted . It seems intent on piecemeal measures that continue to keep women from contributing fully and keeping their families together . If getting arrested is what it takes to show the House we 're serious , it 's worth it . House members must have courage and unite , as we have , to pass immigration reform that treats women fairly and keeps families united . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ai-jen Poo and Terry O'Neill .
Ai - jen Poo , Terry O'Neill say immigration reform will provide equal treatment for women . They say only 28 % of work visas go to women , who do jobs that often are n't valued . They say reform will free up visas for those women -- nannies and home health care workers . Women : Immigrant women make huge contributions to society and need an equal shot .