Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Comité permanent de la condition féminine

For immediate release

Ottawa, March 24, 2023 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (the Committee) adopted the following motion on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study on human trafficking of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals for sexual exploitation in Canada, including an examination of how to prevent the trafficking of individuals and ways to improve Canadian law enforcement’s capability to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators; that a minimum of eight and a maximum of ten meetings be held on this study; and that the committee report its findings to the House.

The Committee will examine human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Canada, focusing on the experiences of women, girls and gender-diverse people. The study’s objective is to explore approaches to preventing, and supporting victims of, human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The Committee invites the public to contribute to the study by submitting written briefs.

The Committee’s final report, which will include recommendations to the Government of Canada, will be informed by these written submissions and by witness testimony. The Committee encourages the inclusion of concrete recommendations related to effective approaches to preventing and addressing human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, as well as measures to support victims.

Protecting the privacy of those who submit briefs remains a priority for the Committee. If you wish to submit a written brief anonymously or do not want a brief to be made public, please inform the Clerk of the Committee at fewo@parl.gc.ca, and the necessary arrangements will be made. Written briefs will be publicly available unless otherwise requested.

The deadline for the Committee to receive written briefs from the public, in either official language, is Friday, May 5, 2023. Briefs should not exceed two pages (approximately 1,000 words) and should be emailed to the Clerk of the Committee at FEWO@parl.gc.ca or submitted online through the Committee’s study webpage.

Please see the Guide for Submitting Briefs to House of Commons Committees for details and instructions related to written submissions for House of Commons committees.

The Committee looks forward to hearing from Canadians on this important topic. The Committee welcomes all Canadians to follow its work on its website, where additional information is provided on the Committee’s meetings and testimony, live proceedings and membership.