U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, has invited Kalei Grant, a Native Hawaiian trafficking survivor, to be her guest at Pres. Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
The invitation is the latest in a string of efforts by Hirono to raise awareness of the disproportionate involvement of Native Hawaiian girls and women in human trafficking and gender-based violence
According to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, more than two-thirds of sex trafficking victims in Hawaii are Native Hawaiian women and girls, and 37% of reported child sex trafficking cases in Hawaii are Native Hawaiian
Grant, who was born and raised in Hawaii, was held against her and sexually exploited for nearly two years before she escaped
Hawaii’s full Congressional delegation is expected to attend the president’s address, as is Gov. Josh Green
The invitation is the latest in a string of efforts by Hirono to raise awareness of the disproportionate involvement of Native Hawaiian girls and women in human trafficking and gender-based violence.
