‘It Happens Here Too!’: Public Awareness Campaign Launched to Prevent Sex Trafficking in Kawartha Lakes
Building on past prevention efforts locally, Women’s Resources this week launched the first-ever formal, social media campaign to raise public awareness about sex trafficking in Kawartha Lakes.
Women’s Resources Kawartha Lakes and Kawartha-Haliburton Victim Services report having provided services related to human trafficking to some 40-60 women in the Kawartha Lakes area.
“Sex trafficking does not just happen in big cities,” notes Women’s Resources Executive Director Lori Watson, “We are dealing with cases right here in our local, rural area. Building community awareness and education to youth at risk and caregivers around human trafficking is an essential first step in addressing this issue. Some great work is being done by groups, but this is the first formal public awareness campaigns to help prevent trafficking of at-risk youth in Kawartha Lakes,” she added.
The Executive Director of Kawartha-Haliburton Victim Services, former Chief of Kawartha Lakes Polices Services, John Hagarty, agrees: “Victim Services provides survivors of human trafficking crisis response, access to funds for immediate needs, case management, advocacy, court support, brief counselling, and connection to longer-term service needs. Human Trafficking happens here and we’re here to help. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Women’s Resources on this initiative.” Victim Services also has contributed resources to the public awareness campaign.
Last summer, Women’s Resources received funding from the Government of Ontario to increase community-based support services. The goals of the public awareness campaign include:
educating local young people that human trafficking exists;
helping youth identify the risk signs of human trafficking; and
providing easy ways to learn more and get help, if needed.
Prevention is the focus of the campaign, which will include social media, print advertising, and radio announcements over the coming months. Metroland Media Group has donated newspaper space to the campaign.
All public awareness materials will provide internet links and the local crisis telephone number at Women’s Resources Kawartha Lakes to answer questions and provide immediate help, when needed.
The public awareness campaign will be reinforced by presentations about human trafficking to students in local schools using curricula from the Ministry of Education.
In addition to aiming to prevent sex trafficking in Kawartha Lakes by increasing public awareness, funding was allocated to increase shelter and social supports for survivors and help stabilize survivors to prevent re-trafficking;
“The Ontario government is investing more than $780,000 over the next five years in a new community-based program to provide more young victims and survivors of human trafficking in Kawartha Lakes with the services they need,” stated Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes MPP Laurie Scott, who also noted: “Women’s Resources has been a staple in our community, providing women and children with a safe haven as they flee from violence, abuse, and sex trafficking.”
The public awareness campaign will run at least until the end of March.
To learn more about human trafficking, or to get help, visit: www.womensresources.ca or call: 705-878-3662.
"Taking a Stand": Executive Director Lori Watson and the Women's Resources Team launch new campaign to prevent human trafficking locally in Kawartha Lakes. Photo: M. Bradamore
