Local community members draw awareness to human trafficking.
On Saturday, May 8, 2010, a number of local community members took part in the Walk Against Human Trafficking at the Winnipeg Legislative Building.
MP Joy Smith was hosting the event to draw awareness to the issue, as well as to put pressure on the senate to pass Bill C-268, which would require a minimum sentence of 5 years for anyone charged with human trafficking.
After the walk, there was a small reception where 4 survivors of human trafficking in Canada shared their powerful stories.
Background information:
75 percent of victims of Human Trafficking are women, most of them underage – they are physically, emotionally, and sexually abused and in the process their lives are destroyed. Human Trafficking, which is control of human beings for forced labor (most often for the sex industry), is a growing global concern and is also an increasing criminal problem in Canada. Until recently there has been very little media coverage on this issue, so people don’t think it happens. But it does, right here where we live.
For more information on this, or to see how you can help, please visit www.joysmith.ca or www.freetheslaves.net.
