Ipso Facto Feature: The No-Nonsense Guide to Ending Human Trafficking

This week the Canadian Lawyers Abroad Windsor Chapter hosted the Stop Sex Trafficking Campaign in partnership with The Body Shop and Beyond Borders.   The campaign seeks to raise awareness of sex trafficking in Canada and petition the Federal government to form a National Plan of Action to stop the sexual exploitation of children in Canada.  Body Shop’s Happy Hands kind Heart Hand Cream were sold with 100% of the net proceeds going to Beyond Borders to help support victims of trafficking.

 There is a commonly held misconception that slavery was abolished long ago, however, this is not the case.  Modern-day slavery is human trafficking.  Millions of victims (predominantly women and children) are being controlled and exploited for profit through forced labour and sex slavery.  Canada is no exception.  Domestic human trafficking is a major problem, especially within the Aboriginal community and youth demographic.

Windsor students at the Faculty of Law were made very aware of the reality of human trafficking in Canada this week.  The Student Law Society hosted Superintendent Marty Van Doren, the Human Trafficking Awareness Co-ordinator to the RCMP.  Mr. Van Doren provided a lot of information but it was his stories of the victim’s that really opened our eyes to what human trafficking is.  He told us of a 14 year old girl from Mississauga who ‘serviced’ 12 men in the time it took to get a warrant.  Another girl was told by her pimp that she could buy her freedom for $100 000 but only after she paid the $1000 a day she owed him for the customers he brought to her. 

The nature of the crime presents several problems.  Victims often don’t self-identify as being trafficked or are too scared to leave and testify against their pimp.  The Internet has allowed for traffickers and Johns [Ed’s. Note-Johns are a term used to label men who use the services of sex workers; in this case women who have been trafficked] to lure, groom, advertise and exploit victims in a private and anonymous environment.   Immigration laws label victims as offenders denying them the support and protection they need.  When traffickers are prosecuted, the judiciary is handing out minimal sentences of a few months to a few years for the most heinous of crimes.   

The international community is calling on all states to implement a national plan of action to address this growing crime.  For a plan to effectively combat human trafficking, measures on multiple levels must be implemented.

But always the question comes down to, what can you do?

It starts with education.  Become aware of the different forms of human trafficking and bring awareness to those around you.  

Get involved.  Volunteer, intern, fundraise, campaign and support those fighting the cause.  My internship through the Canadian Lawyers Abroad Internship Program is how I first became connected with Beyond Borders.    As an intern I conducted research analyzing the legislative and policy response of different countries to child sex tourism and the effect of the internet in perpetuating the sexual exploitation of children.  It was a truly eye-opening experience.   

End the demand.  The prevalence of sex trafficking is a direct correlate of societal demand, consisting primarily of men.  Men need to begin speaking out against the sexual exploitation of children in Canada and abroad.

Spend wisely.  The private sector perpetuates and profits off the buying and selling of women and children, specifically the travel and tourism and new technologies sectors.  For example, Craigslist is commonly used to post sex ads by traffickers.  They have blocked their “Adult Services” section in the U.S., but only after two girls wrote open letters to the Washington Post describing how they were forced to sell the virginity at the age of 11 on Craigslist.  Chinese police recently raided a brothel in a Hilton hotel Karaoke club.  Outraged anti-human trafficking groups called the Hilton to take a stand against human trafficking.  Hilton hotels have responded and are working with ECPAT International to develop an internal code of conduct and educated employees.  Only when the public calls on the private sector to take responsibility for their actions will change truly be seen.

We must remain mindful that there is no one solution.  Shutting down craigslist may not end human trafficking.  Tougher sentences may not end human trafficking.  Helping one victim may not end human trafficking.  But with every step the movement grows. 

Canadians are becoming aware that human trafficking exists in our country but it is our response which truly matters. The nature of the crime is exceptionally heinous and inhumane, a topic in which many people do not want to hear about let alone bring to the attention of others.  But only once the demand for change transcends the demand for modern-day slavery will those complicit in human trafficking be held accountable for their actions and freedom for those exploited truly realized. 



Guest contributor Chelsea Hishon is a student at Windsor Law.