About the Organization
The mission of the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) is to empower young women, ages 12-21, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential.
GEMS is located in New York State and was founded in 1999 by a young woman, Rachel Lloyd, who had been exploited sexually as a teenager. It is a nationally recognized organization that advocates, at the state and national levels, for policies that support domestic young women who have been sexually exploited.
GEMS produced an internationally acclaimed documentary called Very Young Girls. It has been seen by over three million viewers, and is the first film of its kind to document the realities of the buying and selling of American girls.
GEMS has been awarded two multi-year contracts to train both community members and law enforcement on CSEC (commercial sexual exploitation of children). They have also been funded to work with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces (ICAC) to help identify ways in which the internet helps facilitate CSEC and how to effectively intervene.
How You Can Help
Raise awareness by joining the “Girls Are Not for Sale Campaign” visit: girlsarenotforsale.org. Join “The Council of Daughters” nation-wide network. Sponsor viewings of the Very Young Girls. Buy the recording "This is to Mother You." Request GEMS training or make financial donations.
