Campaigner Against Sex Trade Honored

At a ceremony in Carnegie Hall in New York City on Monday, a Cambodian human rights activist who has dedicated her life to fighting against the sex trade was honored as one of Glamour magazine's women on the year. Somaly Mam is president of AFESIP, the French acronym for Acting for Women in Distressing Situations, which has 155 social workers in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam working to rescue women and girls from forced prostitution. Since it was founded in 1996, AFESIP has saved 3,000 women and girls -- some as young as five. "We can help 10, but maybe 20 or 30 women they sell again to the brothel," said Mam, who herself was sold into prostitution before being rescued by foreigners and aid workers. Some of the girls AFESIP helps die of AIDS or are sold back into prostitution by their families, while others leave the sex trade for good.

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