Edwina Gateley, Brenda Myers-Powell to present during Sex Trafficking Awareness Week

There are an estimated 300,000 child prostitutes in the U.S. and this number is growing, according to the FBI.

As part of Sex Trafficking Awareness Week, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University present, "Two Women's Stories: The Long Journey from Drugs and Prostitution to Healing and New Life" from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, in Gorecki Center, room 204AB, CSB.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Edwina Gateley and Brenda Myers-Powell will give insight into the underground world of sex trafficking. They will speak about their personal experiences and advocacy work.   

Originally born in Lancaster, England, Gateley moved to Chicago as an adult, where she earned her master's degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union. After graduation, she lived for nine months in prayer and solitude in a hermitage in Illinois and spent over a year on the streets of Chicago walking with the homeless and women involved in prostitution. Today, she continues to write, speak and lead nationwide retreats about her experiences. 

At the age of 14, Myers-Powell became a product of human trafficking. She experienced physical, mental and sexual abuse during her 25 years as a prostitute.

Gateley and Myers-Powell's paths crossed in 1997 after Myers-Powell went to the Genesis House in order to escape prostitution. The Genesis House, founded by Gateley, is a house of hospitality and nurturing for women involved with prostitution. After spending a year-and-a-half at the Genesis House, Myers-Powell left and began to rebuild her life.

In 2008, Myers-Powell co-founded The Dreamcatcher Foundation, which works to prevent sexual exploitation among at-risk youth and provides them with confidence and stability to get back out into the world.