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Ontario rolled out an Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy in 4 parts. Premier Doug Ford, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, Jill Dunlop, and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones are responsible for the updated legislation which covers these four areas. We will now finish the series by examining Part 3 and 4 which includes: Part 3 - Protecting Victims and Part 4 - Supporting Survivors.
In early June 2020, there was outrage as headlines appeared saying that “Intoxication was a Defence for Sexual Assault”. The outpouring of disgust on social media was prominent and loud. Women and men who had experienced sexual assault and those who are passionate about the laws surrounding this issue spoke up. I decided to take a look at the conversation and see what I could unpack.
It has been reported that human trafficking, often referred to as a modern form of slavery, is one of the fastest-growing crimes worldwide. In Canada, approximately 100 000+ victims are trafficked annually, with 2/3 of that number reported in Ontario. With COVID-19 isolation, there have been arrests made in the Halton region (May 2020) in connection to human traffickers.
If you think human trafficking is something you can ignore, it isn’t. The staggering statistics include the fact that 2.4 million people are trafficked each year worldwide. This horrific crime is not reserved for foreign lands, as we like to imagine, it takes place in Canada every day.
Survivor, Robin Zee survived the sex trade, but continues to battle navigating the supports needed to battle the scars. Zee shares on trauma, triggers, and PTSD while also highlighting the difficulties surrounding gaining and keeping support in a cracked and long broken mental health system.
Although the official day and month for celebrating women has passed, it can be said that women should be celebrated every day of every month of every year, as we continue the fight for women’s rights. Highlighted are some of the organizations and women who have dedicated their lives’ work to fight and bring an end to human trafficking.
The night of April 14, 2014, was a terrifying one for 276 mostly female Christian students who were kidnapped from a secondary school located in the quiet town of Chibok in the northeastern state of Borno, Nigeria. Some of the girls managed to jump off the truck during transport, while others remained captive. Only 57 girls were able to escape in the first few months following the kidnapping.
The United States observes the month of January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and January 11th as its National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Although two of Canada’s provinces recognize February 22nd as its official day, nationally, Canada has yet to officially establish one.
A year in review with a year and forecast ahead. Learn more about how Free-Them continued to combat human trafficking in 2020 and what the nonprofit organization plans to accomplish in the year ahead.
The new initiative set in motion by The Honourable Bill Blair and the Honourable Maryam Monsef in July 2020, specifically speaks to two opportunities to receive a portion of the $19M allocated to Women and Gender Equality and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.