Good day, and thank you.
My name is Crystal Garrett-Baird. I am the director general responsible for working to address gender-based violence at Women and Gender Equality Canada.
I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land I am coming to you from is the traditional and unceded territory of the Abegweit Mi'kmaq first nation.
I want to thank this committee for the opportunity to speak on behalf of Women and Gender Equality Canada concerning human trafficking—a form of gender-based violence.
Many people experience violence because of their sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender. This is gender-based violence.
Data shows that human trafficking is a gendered crime. Police-reported incidents between 2011 and 2021 show that 96% of all detected victims were women and girls, 71% of whom were under the age of 25. Human trafficking also disproportionately impacts indigenous women and girls, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals as well as their families and communities.
The Government of Canada is taking action to address gender-based violence through initiatives including the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking 2019-2024 and the recently launched National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
Led by Public Safety Canada, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking brings together federal efforts under one strategic framework in a comprehensive, coordinated and multi-faceted approach.
As part of the national strategy, Women and Gender Equality Canada is funding 42 projects for a total of nearly $14 million. These projects in communities across Canada are allocated through open calls for proposals and are led by civil society partners who represent various geographic, demographic, and lived experiences.
The projects are designed to prevent and address human trafficking and support at-risk populations, victims and survivors, who are among the thousands of people reached through WAGE-funded projects.
In addition to this work, budget 2021 provided an investment of $601.3 million over five years to address gender-based violence. Of this funding, Women and Gender Equality Canada received $105 million to enhance the gender-based violence program. Some of this funding is supporting initiatives to stop human trafficking and enhance supports for at-risk populations.
As part of budget 2021 funding, the department also received $30 million for crisis hotlines to support the urgent needs of Canadians experiencing gender-based violence. Crisis lines can be a lifeline to victims and survivors, and their funding is essential in ensuring survivors and their families have access to the help they need, when they need it, including those who are victims of human trafficking.
Budget 2022 committed $539.3 million to support the provinces and territories in their efforts to implement the national action plan to end gender-based violence. This plan was launched in November 2022 by the federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for the status of women. The national action plan was informed by over 1,000 recommendations through years of engagement.