The federal government is providing funding for a project in Windsor aimed at preventing human trafficking. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Sean Fraser announced Thursday that nine non-governmental organizations will share in $3.35 million to undertake projects that support victims and survivors of human trafficking. Réseau-Femmes Du Sud-Ouest De L’Ontario will receive $312,728 for its Justice and Liberty project that will specifically target the Francophone minority community with the goal of engaging community partners and raising public awareness to provide information, support, and resources to help recognize, prevent, and address human trafficking. Executive Director Danielle Péladeau says Ontario accounts for nearly 67 per cent of reported human trafficking cases in Canada, and the Windsor region is a high-risk corridor due to its proximity to the U.S. border and the high volume of cross-border traffic. Péladeau says the problem of human trafficking is getting worse in this area. “The targets are mainly young girls. We really noticed an increase as far as just talks being circulated when we were in the schools as far as another project,” she says. Péladeau says the grooming process in human trafficking is such an intense process that a lot of girls are not even realizing that they’re being groomed. “It is such a slow process, and these organizations, organized crime, and groomers are so professional at what they do that we’re seeing a lot of young girls raising their hands and asking more questions, which is fantastic but very alarming,” she says. Péladeau says their project will include resources and interactive workshops that educate vulnerable girls and women about the red flags around human trafficking and domestic violence. “A lot of the same mechanisms for that coercive control and that grooming process are very similar,” she says. “If we’re able to hit any type of audience and give these girls information, it’s so powerful; it gives them tools to be able to recognize the signs.” Réseau-Femmes Du Sud-Ouest De L’Ontario, which is mandated to help Francophone women, provides assistance to hundreds of women every year. The organization has offices across southwestern Ontario with the Windsor office located at 447 Wyandotte Street.
