Thursday, April 28, 2011
GEMS
I saw a documentary several months ago that really moved me called "Very Young Girls" about teenagers who are victims of sexual exploitation. The average age for a girl to enter a life of prostitution in the United States is thirteen. Thirteen! They're usually in abusive families and are easy prey for pimps who want to make a profit off of their innocence and their deep desire for love and approval. I was deeply struck by how difficult it can be for these girls - babies really - to leave the "life" and re-gain a sense of their own worth. They're recruited and brainwashed by abusive pimps. They're arrested for prostitution even though many of them are legally too young to consent to sex which means that they are rape victims. Some of the victims of sexual exploitation are so psychologically damaged that they can't see any other way to live. Child exploitation is another disgusting form of child abuse; pimps and the men who buy these girls should be punished to the full extent of the law. Rachel Lloyd, the founder of GEMS, is a crusader who's really making a difference; I respect the work she and her staff do tremendously. GEMS stands for Girls Educational and Mentoring Services and is a New York City organization that helps victimized girls escape their pimps and make a fresh start. For more information on GEMS and ways to help, go to http://www.gems-girls.org/. You might also netflix "Very Young Girls". This is a devastating problem in our country and needs to be dealt with.
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I saw that documentary too, and though I am a pretty avid documentary watcher, this one rocked me to the core. Kind of unbelievable, some of the realities the doc unearths, but we better believe it, and in that knowledge become agents of change. I researched the website months ago, and when i did it specifically said they weren't looking for civilian volunteers at that time, although they did have a few job openings. This is definitely one cause I will support the day I have any serious money to give to something. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tiffany. I guess it makes sense that they're not looking for civilian volunteers since the girls/women are probably too raw and vulnerable to be dealing with new, strange people as they try to get it together. This is the sort of issue that needs to be talked about and aired - I'm a playwright and you're an actress/dancer. Maybe we should think about using our talents to create work that brings awareness to this issue. RUINED brought a greater awareness to the issues of the women in the Congo. Something to chew on...
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