SEWG
an Edmonton-based leadership group collaborating to create awareness of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and their causes and impacts.
SEWG recognizes vulnerabilities to sexual exploitation due to: age, ethnicity, sex, gender, financial desperation, migration, homelessness, prior childhood abuse or neglect, mental or physical health conditions, addictions, intergenerational trauma or any other circumstance that contributes to vulnerability.
municipal and provincial government, supported by REACH Edmonton
and working to:
Facilitate information sharing regarding sexual exploitation in its many forms.
Act as a conduit for public education.
Raise awareness of contributing factors.
Support community and political efforts to address the issue.
Identify and work with new partners and community stakeholders as needed.
Who Are Involved
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Trafficking by the numbers:
A crisis measured in lives
Victims who are bought and sold in Edmonton are most often from marginalized populations that include First Nations, newcomers, abuse survivors and vulnerable young girls and boys.
People working in the sex trade began working as a child.
Source: Susan McIntyre, PhD
The age range when child and teen sex trafficking often starts.
Source: Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, MS, LPC – 2013
Sex traffickers in Canada can receive an annual financial gain of $280,000 for each woman or girl they have trafficked and sexually exploited.
Source: “Organized Crime and Domestic Trafficking in Persons in Canada.” Organized Intelligence Service Canada, 2010.
Sex consumers are on average, between the ages of 26-35, Canadian born, married or common law, and have children.
Source: “Prostitution Offender Program: Offender Survey Report.” CEASE, 2010.
Although street-based sex activities are the most visible manifestations and a large focus of police and judicial resources, it is estimated to account for at most, 20% of prostitution activities in Canada.
Source: “Decriminalizing Sex work(ers): law reform to protect health and human rights.” Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, 2005.
