Lack of data on human trafficking makes it hard to fight, says status of women committee

A lack of access to data about human trafficking in Canada could be standing in the way of protecting women, girls and gender diverse people, according to advocates and officials at a House of Commons committee meeting Thursday in Ottawa.

"It's just the tip of the iceberg, the stats that we're seeing," Coralee McGuire-Cyrette told the status of women committee meeting on human trafficking of women, girls and gender diverse people. 

McGuire-Cyrette is the executive director of the Ontario Native Women's Association and a member of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek in northern Ontario.

At Thursday's meeting, committee members repeatedly expressed concerns over their inability to access statistics on human trafficking. 

Several said they have been unable to find information on a wide range of trafficking-related issues, including victims' immigration status, the country of origin of victims and perpetrators and the number of trafficking victims who experienced sexual exploitation versus those who had experienced forced labour.

Karen Vecchio, committee chair and Conservative MP for Elgin-Middlesex-London, told the meeting they were working with "zero numbers."

An official from the department of justice said it uses a wide range of sources, not just government-collected data, to get a picture of human trafficking in Canada. The official said they would provide access to the government's data. 

Funding depends on data

Another committee member, Michelle Ferreri, Conservative MP for Peterborough-Kawartha, called the lack of data "appalling." Government funding relies on hard data to demonstrate the extent of a problem, Ferreri said.

Melanie Omeniho, president of Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak — Women of the Métis Nation, told the committee there is also limited Métis-specific data, which hides the extent of Métis women and girls' exploitation. 

"We don't know what our numbers are," she said.

Omeniho also said underreporting makes it difficult to collect accurate information. 

"Police are not a safe place for women to report," Omeniho said. 

Many Indigenous victims of human trafficking experience re-victimization and racism when they try to report their experiences, she added. 

McGuire-Cyrette said more Indigenous women's voices need to be included in the conversation to ensure services meet their needs. 

She said victims are often not believed and do not have access to proper resources because of chronic underfunding.

"We need to invest in Indigenous women's safety," she said.