An anonymous woman has been awarded Glamour's Woman of the Year for "changing the conversation about sexual assault forever", after the statement she read at her rapist's trial went viral.
The unnamed 23-year-old victim was represented at the Glamour awards ceremony by Stanford University law professor and family friend Michele Dauber, who accepted the accolade and read a speech the woman had written.
"Thank you for seeing me through my words, and giving me a voice without having to see me physically. Thank you for honouring me along with these incredible women, who I'm determined to one day meet," it said.
"The past year has been hard, but through the worst times I have only discovered that I am indestructible. I was slow to learn that, but now that I know it, I can't forget it.
"I'm so determined to fight back and to create joy in this life."
In March, the woman addressed her rapist, 20-year-old Brock Turner, in a statement detailing the trauma of the experience and its aftermath, and expressing solidarity with girls across the world who had also been sexually assaulted.
Turner who was found guilty on three counts of sexual assault, but only spent three months in jail for his offence.
Her attacker carried out the rape in a public place while the victim was unconscious, and was only stopped when two Swedish cyclists witnessed the attack and tackled a fleeing Turner to the ground.
In her award acceptance speech the woman expressed her pride at being acknowledged as a survivor among "millions of ground-breaking Emily Does", referring to the fake name she was given in the media to protect her identity.
"Right now, I'm watching this award show from home, and I know that there are many survivors at home watching too, and I hope every survivor is sharing the stage with me, feeling proud, and feeling like they are a part of this too.
"Tonight we have won together. With every setback the world should know that every survivor has a story, each story is our power, and together we are louder than any system or any person that threatens to silence us.
"Collectively we are countless and unstoppable and now, like never before, we are indignantly rising. Be excited. Keep going. I'll be fighting alongside you."
The acceptance speech was preceded by an address from Girls star Lena Dunham and a dramatic reading of the victim's impact statement by three prominent feminists.
Among those was actress Amber Heard, who accused former husband Johnny Depp of domestic violence earlier in the year.
Heard thanked the newly crowned Woman of the Year for her words and her courage, saying she and many others "carry it with us every day".
Newshub.
