Are all Slaves Women?

Or, why are women disproportionately

represented among victims of human trafficking?

Trafficking Awareness Ottawa

University of Ottawa
Anna Besch
23 January 2010
Q: How many people are
trafficked?

27 Million

Anti-slavery.org,
 Who are the victims?
50% – Percent of transnational victims who
are children.
80% – Percent of transnational victims who
are women and girls.
Any marginalized, displaced, impoverished,
or uneducated populace is especially
vulnerable.

U.S. Department of Justice, Report to Congress from Attorney General John

Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in
Fiscal Year 2003: 2004 .
U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007.
 A Canadian
Problem
• Yearly, 600 women
are trafficked into the
Canadian sex trade.
•Annually, 2,000
people
are trafficked through Canada to U.S.
brothels and sweatshops.
• Some reports have suggested that the actual
figure of annually trafficked women to
Canada might vary between 8,000 and
17,000.
Amnesty international Trafficking of Women and Girls- Issue Sheet
 Human Trafficking is
Gender Based Violence

1993 United Nations’ Declaration on the Elimination of Violence

Against Women (DEVAW),
A System of Inequality
 Where can I learn more?
• www.canadafightshumantrafficking.com
• www.notforsalecampaign.org
• www.polarisproject.org
• www.antislavery.org
• www.womenagainstslavery.org