Yahoo Lifestyle Lena Dunham Honoured In Variety's 'Power Of Women' Issue
Lena Dunham. Photo: Getty Images.
Girls creator Lena Dunham has been recognised for her work with Gems (Girls Educational & Mentoring Services), a nonprofit organisation that helps victims of commercial sexual exploitation in New York.
The 28-year old said she was proud to be acknowledged, and hoped it would lead to more visibility around sex trafficking.
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"There are so many girls, particularly in urban areas, who are born to parents who may be drug addicted and violent," Dunham said. "These pimps are waiting at the bus to tell these girls, 'You seem amazing. I love you and want to be your boyfriend. What feels like a loving relationship turns into them being forced to go out and make a living. What's happening is rape. It's statutory rape by the most basic definition."
Dunham, who is a sexual assault survivor, said she was attracted to the cause because of her own harrowing experience.
"What attracted me so much to the cause is that I'm a feminist and I'm a sexual assault survivor," she said. "I felt that it was important to me to not just call attention to the circumstances (around) which I was assaulted on a college campus, but also to call attention to sexual-abuse survivors who have far less of a public voice."
Dunham tweeted her thanks to the publication, saying, "Proud to support the incredible work of GEMS. Thank you @Variety for highlighting issues that matter."
Dunham, who was honoured for her work alongside the likes of Kim Kardashian and Whoopi Goldberg, confessed yesterday that she'd like her hit TV show, Girls, to be made into a movie when the actors turn 40.
"I have fantasies of us all coming back when we're 40," Dunham told Variety. "We'd want to wait long enough for something to have really gone down."
Considering the accolades Dunham already has under her belt at the tender age of 28, we'd say that time has come.
