Media Articles

Empowering hotel staff to stop child sexual exploitation will be the outcome of a partnership between the province and the Manitoba Hotel Association, Family Services and Consumer Affairs Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today.

The sexual enslavement of women and children is a global human rights issue in our own backyard. Manitobans and Canadians need not look to countries notorious for human trafficking for sexual exploitation, like Thailand, or developing countries, they only need to look at the streets of Winnipeg and other cities, especially those in Western Canada.

Sexual abuse comes in many forms. That's part of what a few hundred cops, court employees and social service workers who crammed into the Fort Garry Hotel this past week learned during the annual conference sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. They also came to share their insights that surround the hyper-sexualization of children, something that makes most of us cringe and sometimes, just tune out.

It is a commonly accepted myth that children and youth involved in the sex trade have chosen that life. Reality is that these children are being manipulated and sexually exploited because they are vulnerable.

Joined by police, service agencies and Aboriginal organizations, the province is launching Phase 2 of a sexual exploitation strategy called Tracia's Trust in honour of Tracia Owen, Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh announced today.