In 2019, RRS had “sidewalk” conversations with several local organizations and realized we all have clients who have been, are, or are being pressured into sexual or labour exploitation or trafficking.
We started to realize the magnitude of human exploitation and trafficking in and
around our community, and the need to raise awareness of the problem. As a literacy
and life skills organization, many of our clients have multiple vulnerabilities and
are at risk of labour or sexual exploitation, also called human trafficking or modern
slavery. Given the statistics, we consider street smart literacy as important as
learning to read. So, we are starting a Street Smart Literacy Campaign to raise awareness,
educate and provide information about where to get help. Follow us on social media
and help spread awareness. #streetsmartliteracy #streetsmartlifeskills
Not in my Neighbourhood?
Sexual Trafficking
“Sex trafficking is happening in our communities, to our children and often right in front of us. Yet many times, the signs go unnoticed by those in the best position to help. Survivors told us they often didn’t understand what was happening to them or know where to turn for help. And the barriers to exiting sex trafficking once someone is entrenched are enormous” (Covenant House Toronto, 2021).
- Many Canadians believe sex trafficking is only an international issue. In fact, it
happens across Canada. 98 per cent of sex trafficking survivors served by our Anti-
Trafficking Team are Canadian citizens. - 92 per cent of trafficking victims knew the person accused of trafficking them. Most commonly, victims were trafficked by a friend or acquaintance or a current or former boyfriend, girlfriend, or other intimate partner.
- Females under the age of 25 represent 73% of all victims of trafficking cases.
- In Canada, many victims are first trafficked around the age of thirteen or fourteen (Covenant House Toronto, 2021).
- While Indigenous women make up 4% of the Canadian population, they make up about 50% of trafficking victims (Native Women’s Association of Canada, 2018).
Labour Trafficking
Labour traffickers – including recruiters, contractors, employers, and others – use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, or other forms of coercion to force people to work against their will in many different industries.
Vulnerable populations, like foreign nationals, LGBTQ2S persons and homeless youth are more often targeted by traffickers. In Canada, precarious immigration status, recruitment debt, isolation, language barriers, and poverty can create vulnerabilities traffickers exploit.
- Industries where trafficked persons have been identified are construction, agriculture, restaurants, manufacturing, food processing, nail salons etc…
- Sometimes trafficked persons are exploited in illegal businesses or forced to transport drugs.
- Domestic servitude is a type of labour trafficking where trafficked persons are forced to clean houses, do laundry and other domestic chores, care for children and elderly family members, and are often called upon to be available at all times of the day or night. They receive very little or no pay for their work (The Canadian Centre To End Human Trafficking, 2020).
1-
1-
