In which I launch into my second post about exploited, abused women inside of one week’s time.

Earlier this year, I watched an incredibly powerful documentary about human trafficking and underage prostitution in New York City.  The film, Very Young Girls, is nominally about young sex workers, but it’s implications are vastly more far-reaching.  It depicts the lives of a group of young women tricked, lured, seduced and forced into prostitution at the hands of much older men and also the system which provides them no assistance or opportunity for escape.  Much of the film takes place in the dorm-like housing provided by GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Service), an NPO in New York devoted to assisting and aiding the victims of the sex trade in their area.  Rachel Lloyd, who founded GEMS and is a victim of the sexual exploitation herself, is a no-nonsense powerhouse, a tireless caretaker  of the young women she works with, and an educator through and through.  For years, she’s been working to raise awareness of this issue, make changes through legislature, make important alterations to the terminology used to describe the victims she works with, and provide resources and education to many women who can’t get it anywhere else.  GEMS Girls has grown from her small apartment kitchen in 1999 to a nationally recognized non-profit.  It’s an amazing story and born of the fact that there were literally no victims advocacy organizations for underage women who experienced exploitation and domestic trafficking in 1999, when the organization was founded.  It’s hard to believe that such a clear need was never thoroughly addressed until Rachel Lloyed stepped up to the plate.

Here is Rachel Lloyd speaking at the Senate Hearing in late February of this year:

GEMS Testifies at Senate Hearing 2.24.2010 from GEMS GIRLS on Vimeo.

The GEMS mission statement, in their own words:

‘Girls Educational and Mentoring Services’ (GEMS) mission is to empower young women, ages12-21, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential.  GEMS is committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth.’

The GEMS website has a wealth of more information on this horrific subject, as well as writing from some of the victims the organization works with, which is especially amazing.  Their website is a commendable example of excellent content balanced with usability and a clear design identity- I encourage you to check it out and to consider donating to GEMS today, or otherwise getting involved.

Meanwhile, check out the trailer for Very Young Girls:

By the way, this film is totally available to Netflix users in the watch instantly section, so queue it up, people, seriously.

Also, Mary J. Blige and Sinead O’Connor (love them!) re-recorded a song by O’Connor, with GEMS member Martha B.  The proceeds from the song go to GEMS.

Listen to it here.

Filed under: Non-Profit Of The Week by AJ