Can one say that human trafficking is not an issue in Canada?
By: Susana Veliz, WEC Marketing Coordinator
Last Friday morning, I was waiting for the bus to come to school. The schedule said that it would come in eight minutes. What to do until the bus comes? Glancing around the perimeter I found a newspaper stand. I might as well take glance through it and be productive. I came across an article about Scotland becoming an independent nation from England. But then, a headline really called my attention. It said, “Aboriginal women are targets of human trafficking” and nonetheless I starting reading. What I cannot understand is how in a first world country such as Canada injustices against women especially aboriginal women are still happening. In this case, there are two problems. Aboriginal people are underrepresented in all areas of society. Due to their secluded locations in the country, it is difficult to keep these groups of people in our minds. The second problem is that by being aboriginal and in addition a women, an individual’s rights decrease exponentially placing the individual in almost a second-class citizen position. These women are targets due to their lack of education. They are prone to be dealing with mental health problems due to violence they may experience in their households. Individuals who have other interests in mind definitely see them as easy targets that can be manipulated to their advantage. In many cases the pimps are supposedly boyfriends or family members. Many Canadians know the hardships these groups of aboriginal women face on daily basis but the real question involves a lack of action from government officials, influential figures and citizens: Is our unresponsiveness to deal with the situation causing this cycle to continue? I believe our inability to see past our problems is causing others to experience rejection, maltreatment and despair. The choice is yours to take action.