I am a minor, living in British Columbia. I am therefore the age that many youth have been trafficked in Canada. Some call this prostitution, but considering that it is known internationally that the entry age into prostitution is between 12 and 14, it is undoubtably the case that many of these underage prostitutes are being controlled and exploited by pimps, bawdy house owners, or even family members.
I have recently had the pleasure of getting to know Tara Teng, Miss World Canada. Her goal is to bring the issue of human trafficking and prostitution in Canada out of the shadows and I too can no longer sit by and watch these realities continue.
As a teenage girl, I simply do not understand why the act of prostitution is legal in Canada, and why the men who pay to sexually abuse women and children are not being prosecuted.
Unfortunately, the root cause of prostitution is the demand for commercial sex with women and children. Therefore, it seems obvious to me that the purchase of sexual services ought to be heavily criminalized and not the selling of sexual services.
I do not believe that this “business” can ever be safe or beneficial for the prostitutes themselves. I would like to see support given to prostitutes who are desperate to get out of this so-called profession. The abuse, rape and dehumanizing buying and selling of women in Canada are what I believe to be the worst possible actions one human being could do to another.
The question that enters my mind time and time again is, why are these outrageous acts of injustice not penalized?
I cannot imagine what these women, children and even a few men endure on a daily basis.
The excuse that we simply do not know what is happening in Canada regarding prostitution and human trafficking is no longer valid.
I am a recently graduated high school student, a minor, and even I know that the Canadian government has turned a blind eye towards prostitution. In light of the statistics stated previously, and my own eager desire to see change concerning the issues around human trafficking and prostitution, I would like to see the Nordic model of prostitution law issued in the Criminal Code of Canada.
Gussie Kooijman
Sidney
