Glamour magazine’s list of 2016 Women of the Year includes a young woman’s whose name they don’t even know.
Dubbed "Emily Doe," the woman was thrust into the public eye this past summer during the trial of Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexually assaulting her at at Stanford fraternity party in January of 2015. Doe wrote a letter to the judge in the case, which gave explicit and excruciating details of the violence she experienced and the aftermath as the investigation and trial unfolded.
The letter captured national attention and went on to be read aloud on news broadcasts and even on the floor of the House of Representatives. It vividly conveyed the human realities of sexual assault — a matter of critical importance given that 1 in 6 women will experience rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.
Glamour’s Women of the Year list recognizes the woman as both a survivor and an activist against injustice. Indeed, Doe’s letter has helped in efforts to pass legislation that would eliminate the 10-year statute of limitations on crimes in California.
Editor in Chief Cindi Leive expressed their reasoning for choosing Doe, highlighting the benefit of her letter for other survivors. “Doe sent those women a message: I am with you. Glamour is honored to name Emily Doe a Woman of the Year.”
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