Man sentenced for prostituting 17 year-old girl; Ramsey County Attorney to Backpage.com: “You’re complicit, too” (May 10, 2012) – Malachai Tramble, II was sentenced today in Ramsey County District Court to just shy of 9 years in prison in connection with the prostituting of a 17-year-old child at an apartment in St. Paul using the online site Backpage.com. Tramble pled guilty on March 16 to one count of Promotion of Prostitution in the First Degree for the 17-year-old and one count of Promotion of Prostitution in the Second Degree in connection to the prostitution of an adult woman. Read the press release here.

Register for FREEDOM HERE & NOW: Ending Modern Slavery conference – May 8, 12:30-5:30PM > Please join us for an afternoon with national and state experts on human and sex trafficking. Plus, see the Minnesota premiere of the documentary, Not My Life, and Q&A with its director, Bob Bilheimer. The event is co-sponsored by us and the University of MN’s Center on Integrative Leadership. The opportunity to be involved in the planning and execution of this event was generously provided by Carlson, which has consistently looked for opportunities to showcase the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and our MN Girls campaign.  >> For details and to register, click here.

Women’s Foundation of Minnesota awards $366,500 in grants to end the prostitution of Minnesota girls: First state foundation to dedicate funding stream to end sex trafficking (Mar. 30, Minneapolis) – The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota has awarded $366,500 in grants to seven organizations through MN Girls Are Not For Sale. Read the press release.

A New Ally Joins Fight to End Teen Sex Trade (Star Tribune, 1/28/12) – We could not be more thrilled with the front-page article in Saturday’s Star Tribune – and above the fold, no less! From the headlines to the content, we are so pleased with the reporter’s telling of this complex issue, our role in it, and announcement of the first MN Girls’ grants. Access the article by clicking here.

Defendant charged with prostituting 17 year old child (1/26/12) – The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office today charged Samuel Cozart with one count of Promotion of Prostitution in connection with a prostitution operation at a Roseville area hotel. Read the press release here. More information at KARE 11: Man charged with prostituting 17-year-old girl.

Minnesota’s partner’s successful work to pass the Safe Harbors law here (July 2011) to decriminalize girls under 16 who’ve been prostituted in our state is now featured in this national documentary film, What I Have Been Through is Not Who I Am, narrated by actress Mira Sorvino. Also featured, MN Girls’ partners: Jeff Bauer (The Family Partnership), Michele Garnett McKenzie (Advocates for Human Rights), and Lt. Nancy Dunlap (Sex Crimes Unit, Mpls. Police Dept). Many thanks to ECPAT-USA for including Minnesota’s story in this important work!

(12/7/11) In “Rescuing local girls from prostitution gets $4 million boost” published in today’s Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, writer Dwight Hobbes describes what the prostitution of girls looks like in the Twin Cities’ African American community and what the MN Girls Are Not For Sale Campaign is doing about it. Read more…

On Dec. 6, the MN Girls Are Not For Sale Grantmaking Committee gathered for a full-day of discussion and deliberation to allocate Year One grants totaling $330,000 in funding. Nine Minnesota nonprofits under funding consideration presented brief overviews of their one-year proposals to the committee. A facilitated discussion led to funding decisions, which will be recommended to the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota board of trustees for final approval on Jan. 16, 2012. Grantees will be announced soon after the Jan. 16 meeting.

In this week’s THE JOURNAL (11/21/11) cover story, Waging war against youth prostitution, editor Sarah McKenzie reports on youth prostitution in the state and launch of MN Girls Are Not For Sale, a campaign of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota to end the prostitution of Minnesota girls. Did you know that there are only approved two shelter beds in the state for girls who have been prostituted? Read the article now.