Feds support Brampton and Mississauga human trafficking prevention project

A Brampton and Mississauga human trafficking prevention project is getting support from the federal government.

Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino met with EFRY Hope and Help for Women on Aug. 30 at the Peel Regional Police Headquarters to announce $273,000 in federal funding over four years.

Human trafficking is a heinous crime that disproportionately affects women and girls. Indigenous people, migrants and immigrants and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals are often at greater risk, Mendicino said.

“Tragically, human trafficking is a crime that continues to be underreported and combatting it requires urgent action,” said Mendicino.

The project aims to shift youth’s attitudes, knowledge, and skills around exploitation and sex trafficking.

The project is a survivor-informed initiative offered in schools, group homes, shelters, community centres and justice sites. It focuses on preventing exploitation and sex trafficking by raising awareness among youth about grooming and recruitment tactics.

It also addresses sexual and emotional health, online safety, and risk factors such as substance abuse. The project promotes self-esteem and connects youth with resources on how and where to access a range of social supports.

Deborah Riddle, executive director for EFRY Hope and Help for Women thanked Public Safety Canada for the support.

Riddle thanked the government “for recognizing the importance and need for this type of programming and funding and supporting this vital step in addressing and ending the exploitation of women and girls in our community as a means of addressing human sex trafficking.”

Since 1973, EFRY Hope and Help for Women has provided help to women and girls at risk. EFRY Hope and Help for Women empowers women and girls through a trauma-informed, inclusive, and gender-responsive lens.

For more information, visit their website.