Caroline Springs activist Tiffany Shen has been crowned Miss Australia International.
Ms Shen, originally from China, said she owes her crown to her mother.
“I owe this entire journey to my own precious mother and everything she has done for me, her daughter. She did everything she could to ensure I had a childhood and a better future,“ she said.
“I hope to inspire other girls, that they can be and do whatever is in their heart.”
Ms Shen hopes to use her enhanced public profile to create further public awareness and provide practical support to charities that work to protect children from the horrors of sex trafficking.
“Quite clearly, this atrocious crime is trying to stay undetected so that it may continue to profit from illegal, lucrative activities like sex tourism,“ Ms Shen said.
“Stamping out this shocking activity is really just one piece of the puzzle.
“The other issue is to provide decent opportunities for victims to somehow create a life for themselves whilst living with the mental and physical scars they have acquired.“
Ms Shen has already been named as an ambassador for the Sunlight Foundation – an organisation striving to stamp out child sex crimes.
She also recently travelled to Cambodia to meet with UNICEF to discuss problems surrounding orphanages.
Tate Papworth
