Los Angeles, California (CNN) In her final speech on the House floor Thursday, Democratic US Rep. Katie Hill of California apologized more than a half-dozen times for mistakes that led to her resignation from Congress.

But she also made a powerful statement about the misogynistic culture that led to her downfall — promising to fight on "for a future where this no longer happens to women and girls."

"Yes, I am stepping down, but I refuse to let this experience scare off other women who dare to take risks, who dare to step into this light, who dare to be powerful," said the 32-year-old California congresswoman, more than a week after explicit images of her were published by a right-wing website without her consent. "The way to overcome this setback is for women to keep showing up, to keep running for office, to keep stepping up as leaders. Because the more we show up, the less power they have."

Hill's speech was remarkable because it was raw, deeply felt and human — at once acknowledging imperfections and errors, while also giving voice on the vaunted floor of the House of Representatives to a generation of younger women and men who have been subjected to threats, sexual shaming and humiliation through the use of explicit photos of them without their consent.

It underscored Hill's political talent, her swift descent and the complex circumstances of her exit, which have sparked new debate about the patchwork of so-called "revenge porn" laws across the country and the federal legislation that has been proposed to address them.

Read More