The True North Strong and Free? A detailed look into human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation in Canada

Abstract

In Canada, human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation has existed for many years. Thousands of women and girls are trafficked into and within Canadian borders each year and the numbers are growing. Prior to 2005, national and provincial commitment to address this problem was lacking. However, recently there has been a strong awakening of the Canadian government to the human rights violations involved in this multi-billion dollar industry. Canadian legislation has been initiated and with the implementation of the 2012 National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, there is increasing hope for Canada to take a leadership position in fighting sex trafficking. Is Canada still “the true North strong and free?” This paper provides a detailed look into progress in Canadian policy and law in addition to the successful Swedish Model. It seeks to answer if Canada has made significant progress towards eliminating human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and argues that if the Canadian government seeks to successfully reduce sex trafficking, then it must adopt the Swedish model and criminalize the purchasing of sex within the country.