Rachel Lloyd

Who is Rachel Lloyd?

Rachel Lloyd is a British business executive, memoirist, and sex trafficking abolitionist. She is known for her work advocating for the abolition of sex slavery. She immigrated to the US in 1997 and began working to end domestic sex trafficking, primarily focusing on addressing the commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women. Since arriving in the US, she has become a leading advocate, working on behalf of girls and young women victimized by commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. In 2000, she established the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, which is based in Harlem, New York.

In March 1998, Lloyd attended the first International Summit of Sexually Exploited Youth, presented by the International Centre to Combat Exploitation of Children, held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. During the summit, she assisted in drafting a declaration and call to action by governments throughout the world. On October 22, 2009, she presented the declaration at the United Nations, following which, it was ratified by 120 countries.

In 2004, Lloyd was named one of the "100 Women Who Shape New York" by the New York Daily News. On September 4, 2006, she was recognized as a "Notable New Yorker" by WCBS-TV. Later that same year, she wasalso honored with the Reebok International Human Rights Award. In 2008, she was the recipient of the Social Entrepreneurship Award from the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, while two years later, she was named to an Ashoka Fellowship and a Prime Mover Fellowship. On May 12, 2010, she was named "New Yorker of the Week" by NY1.