Turning Outrage into Action to Address Trafficking for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation in Canada

In February 2007 the Standing Committee on the Status of Women released its report Turning Outrage into Action to Address Trafficking for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation in Canada.

The report was developed after consultations with approximately 40 witnesses, including researchers, policy experts, law enforcement, and many organizations that provide victim services and/or are dedicated to raising awareness of the issue.

Worldwide, it is estimated that between 700,000 and 4 million people a year are trafficked. The vast majority of people who are trafficked are women and children, and 92% of victims are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

While Canada has taken steps to combat trafficking in persons, it is apparent that more needs to be done to address the issue.

The Committee’s report proposes 33 recommendations which they claim are essential to countering the trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Canada. They include:

• greater protection for the many female victims and increased sentences for offenders
• removing immigration barriers to women
• revising the conditions of the Temporary Resident Permit
• creating a Canadian counter-trafficking in persons office
• establishing a National Rapporteur who would have the mandate of collecting and analyzing trafficking data, which would be reported annually to Parliament.

Acknowledging that the trafficking of women stems from poverty and gender inequality, the Committee also recommends:

• the development of a national framework to address poverty in Canada and national awareness and sensitization campaigns.

To view the full report and its recommendations, please visit:
Full Report

To read the government response to the report, click here:
Government Response

To view the 2006 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Integration of the Human Rights of Women and a Gender Perspective, please visit:
Report

To read a CBC article about Joy Smith’s Private Member’s bill on human trafficking, click here:
Article

To read the Private Member’s Bill itself, click here:
Bill C-427