Forum on Human Trafficking

By Iris Sopinka-Chwaluk

Human trafficking is worse than the trade in African slaves of past centuries, Vatican spokesman Cardinal Renato Martino said this month. This inhumane practice that treats people as commodities and through which countless women are forced to prostitute themselves has “intensified” added Martino, especially in the past decade which has seen women lured from Eastern Europe to Western countries by offers of work, only to find themselves entrapped by criminals.

Among these victims are countless Ukrainian women. To help develop solutions to end this current-day form of slavery, the Ukrainian Canadian Women’s Council and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress sponsored a panel discussion on the subject of human trafficking on November 4 at the Ukrainian National Federation’s Community Centre in Toronto. 

Five panelists presented their views.  They were Joy Smith, M.P. for Kildonan-St. Paul; Irene Patten, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Women’s Committee; Irene Soltys, Coordinator for Help Us Help the Children’s Stop the Trafficking Initiative, a project of the Children of Chernobyl Canadian Fund; Orysia Sushko, Ukrainian Canadian Congress President; MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj and moderator Tanya Wanio.

The keynote speaker was Joy Smith, who was instrumental in initiating a number of reforms in Parliament to assist victims of trafficking.  Smith explained how she first became involved in the issue. Her son, a RCMP officer in Brandon, Manitoba has worked for the Internet Child Exploitation Unit and, through him, she learned about the exploitation of children and the trafficking of women. She noted that some parliamentarians close their eyes to the problem or approach it in political terms. She stressed that political agendas should be put aside and MPs of all party affiliations should work together to find solutions to end the practice.

Smith noted that human trafficking is a growing crime in Canada.  Women and children have been victimized most, but boys have also been, increasingly so in the last four years.

It took more than two years for trafficking to become a priority for the Status of Women in Canada, said Smith, and it was critical for Canada to reform its laws on the subject.  As a result, Bill C-49 was introduced and supported by all political parties.  This new bill made human trafficking a criminal act and not just a violation of immigration law.  Before the legislation, victims ensnared by traffickers and in the county illegally were treated as criminals.  Now, they are recognized as victims and can obtain a visa to stay in Canada for 120 days so that they can go through a process of rehabilitation. During this time, medical aid, shelter and food are provided to them. 

Another positive step was the creation of a training video for new RCMP officers, in which Smith’s son played an important contribution.

Unfortunately, our laws still have many loopholes that allow pimps to get away with their crimes.

Smith concluded her speech with an appeal to all present.  She stressed that those in attendance who are aware of human trafficking and concerned about the issue should not underestimate their potential to lead.  They are the experts and should inform their MPs about the issue and make them aware of what course of action should be taken.   She also noted that Ukrainian Canadians have, in particular, taken on a leadership role on the issue of human trafficking.

The next speaker was Irene Soltys the dynamic coordinator of the Stop the Trafficking Coalition to which the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations belongs.   The prime focus of this coalition is to help vulnerable orphans in Ukraine from being trapped into a situation they cannot escape from.

About 10 years ago, Help Us Help the Children activists got involved in helping orphans in Ukraine. They realized that many orphans seemed to disappear after leaving the orphanages at age 18. Evidence was found that these young people were easy prey for human traffickers. To help prevent this from happening, the anti-trafficking coalition was set up. The group has been involved in many activities towards this end and has spearheaded the creation of materials that inform young Ukrainians about the issue.

Soltys had on hand such printed materials created by the International Organization on Migration (IOM) aimed to educate potential victims of trafficking and high school students about human trafficking.  The IOM has also created a film used in training orphanage directors on this subject.  Soltys also mentioned far-reaching plans to integrate this subject into our schools in Ontario.

The third speaker was Orysia Sushko, President of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress. She believes that the public is becoming increasingly more aware of what human trafficking is, thanks to information sessions and reports in the media.  Sushko also noted that she has met twice this year with the Minister of Immigration and Citizenship Monte Solberg to make recommendations for the continued support by the government for the victims of trafficking.  She pointed out that 800,000 people are trafficked annually; 80 per cent of them are women and 50 per cent of them are minors.  Sushko concluded her speech with the following remark: “Turn your outrage into action.”

The final panelist to speak was MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj.   He emphasized the importance of being aware. He explained that awareness can lead to action, to plugging up the holes in the country’s laws that allow trafficking to continue.  Wrzesnewskyj suggested that a petition to request that Canada “raise this issue [of trafficking] at every international forum we take part in and call on all G20 to pass laws similar to C-40.”  In addition, he stressed that trafficking takes place in Canada and recounted an incident about members of a dance troupe from Ukraine who were conned by traffickers in Toronto to hand over their passports and who subsequently disappeared. 

During the question-and-commentary period, Marika Szkambara, President of the World Federation of Women’s Organizations pointed out that the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations was involved in signing a resolution on human trafficking at the United Nations in 1995.  But, she noted that men had not attended that session as they felt it did not pertain to them.  She stressed that laws need to be changed to help victims and that law, order and compassion, in the right mix, are needed to fight human trafficking. 

Szkambara pointed out that Sister Eugenia Bonnetti got the ball rolling when she started working on helping women trafficked in Italy.  The World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations organized two conferences on this subject, one in Rome and one in Toronto, with Sister Bonnetti as the main speaker.  In her concluding remarks, Szkambara emphasized the need for women to get involved in politics to make changes for the good of women.

Tanya Wanio, the moderator, ended the session by accurately summing up the key points raised during the forum.

Iris Sopinka-Chwaluk is an occasional teacher with the Toronto District School Board and a member of the executive of the World Federation of Women’s Organizations and the Ukrainian Canadian Women’s Committee.