It's time to ‘Leave No Child Behind’ in fight against human trafficking

July 30 is designated as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, and this year’s theme is “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.” 

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, one in three victims of human trafficking worldwide is a child. This annual campaign raises awareness of the great tragedy of modern human slavery, which Pope Francis has called an “open wound in the body of Christ.”

There are three main forms of human trafficking: labour trafficking, sex trafficking and trafficking for the purpose of organ removal. 

Worldwide, sex trafficking is the most common form of human trafficking, with approximately 70 per cent of trafficking occurring for the purpose of sexual exploitation. 

Canada’s statistics follow the same trend, with sex trafficking being the major form of human trafficking. The reality of human trafficking here is usually a young woman or girl, manipulated or forced into prostitution.

In the Vancouver Archdiocese, the Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) Committee was established in 2014 primarily to educate and raise awareness of the reality and injustice of human trafficking in our society. The basis for their work is a belief in the dignity of the human person and the fundamental right to dignified work. As Catholics, the common good of the human family is valued over commercial interests. Catholic social teaching dictates that the poor and most in need should be cared for, not exploited. 

The AHT committee recognizes that the root cause of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is the willingness of people, the vast majority of whom are men, to buy the bodies of women and girls. This demand for paid sex is the engine that drives the growing crime of sex trafficking both in Canada and worldwide.

Recently, the United Nations published a report by Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem, on violence against women and girls. This breakthrough report, published in May of 2024, is notable in its recognition of the inherent lack of dignity in the prostitution exchange. In this way, it echoes many of the principles of Catholic social teaching. 

The report is an excellent and comprehensive overview of the problems in the prostitution system, naming it as violence against women and girls. Ms. Alsalem clearly recognizes the vulnerability of marginalized women and girls and refers to the need to ensure that they are protected from the sexual exploitation of prostitution, in which no real consent can be given. Ms. Alsalem further recognizes the inherent lack of dignity in prostitution stating that “Prostitution is also incompatible with the international standards for decent work.” 

Historically, the United Nations has addressed the problems within the prostitution system. The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, adopted in 1949, states that prostitution is incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person. 

Unfortunately, in our modern society, many have taken the view that “sex work is work” and do not recognize the vulnerability of those who are exploited through trafficking and prostitution, many of whom are marginalized through poverty or homelessness, among other factors. Children in care are particularly vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. 

This recent UN report counteracts the narrative that prostitution is consensual and delves into the problem of demand for commercial paid sex. Ms. Alsalem recognizes that prostitution affects all of society, stating that the “perceived right of men to purchase a sex act normalizes the systematic violence inflicted on women through prostitution …”

Ms. Alsalem recommends the adoption of an abolitionist legal framework, which has sometimes been called the “Nordic model” of law. This legal model includes five pillars; decriminalization of women in prostitution, providing support and exit pathways, criminalizing the purchase of sexual acts, criminalizing all forms of pimping, and implementing sensitization campaigns for sexual act buyers.

Canada’s government has implemented an abolitionist framework with the introduction of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act in 2014, however, this law has been sporadically enforced across the country. Although the laws exist to charge the sex buyer and the pimp, the support for those who have been trafficked and prostituted is not there, nor has the public been educated about the law and the harm to society caused by this exploitation.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Committee applauds this report and its recognition of the intrinsic human rights abuses in the prostitution system and the harm caused to women and girls, particularly those on the margins of our society. The Catholic teachings of the dignity of the human being and the worth of dignified work, as well as particular care for the marginalized are highlighted.

As we approach the Day Against Human Trafficking on July 30, there are several resources that will help Catholics learn more about this growing crime. 

The Church has addressed the problem of human trafficking in Pastoral Orientations on Human Trafficking (2018) a document created as a result of consultations with Church leaders, scholars, experienced practitioners and partner organizations working in the field.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) responded to this document with their 2021 pastoral letter on human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Canada, For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free. This in-depth exploration of the issues of sexual exploitation looks at many aspects of the topic from the perspective of Catholic Social Teaching.

Following the release of the CCCB pastoral letter, representatives from the three dioceses of Vancouver, Victoria, and Saskatoon collaborated to produce a study guide, Working Towards Freedom, which gives an opportunity for small groups to study the letter, with suggestions for many resources.

These resources, and others are available on the website of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, at rcav.org/aht. 

Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem’s report can be accessed on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations.

The secretive nature of this crime means that many people may be unaware of how pervasive it is worldwide and in our own nation. Bringing this horrific crime into the light through information and education is a way that Catholics can take action to reduce the exploitation of marginalized people.

Barbara Renaud is a member of the Catholic Women’s League and has authored two resolutions addressing sexual exploitation of women and young persons.  She is a member of the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and vice chair of the Vancouver Collective Against Sexual Exploitation (VCASE), an organization advocating for an end to sexual exploitation caused by prostitution and trafficking.

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