TORONTO 2015 will be the fifth edition of the Parapan Am Games and will feature 1,608 athletes from 28 countries competing in 15 sports. All sports will be Paralympic qualifiers for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Alongside all this hoopla, I cannot disregard the high possibility of an increase in demand for sex workers. More women and children trafficked. Yes, I am referring to human trafficking. A lot of people are ignorant of the fact these crimes are taking place in our city.
The United Nations defines human trafficking as “the implicit use of threat, force, or other forms of coercion against an individual for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, debt bondage, or slavery.” Sex trafficking refers to “force, fraud, or coercion as related specifically to the illegal sex trade business.”
Both forms of trafficking are old problems, Hamilton said, citing references to it in the Old Testament. “The abuse of women and the trafficking of women is an ancient practice, but it is also very much a part of our future.”
This social issue has always been something that has struck a cord in me. More so, after I had my kids. Let me be very clear, I am not referring to sex workers who claim to be in it out of choice. In life, we have choices to make and is someone has joyfully chosen this path, who am I to judge. It’s the ones that were given no choice is the matter. The ones that are robbed of their freedom – those are the lives I want to fight for. The thought of any human being, especially a child being exploited for money, is heart wrenching. As a fellow human, it is our duty to protect our little ones.
The Pan Am Games are coming to Toronto and so, I was inspired to come up with a poster campaign against this henious crime that unfortunately comes with it.
The message is bold. “Don’t be a Dick john.
Rationale
It’s a play on words. “Don’t be a dick. Don’t be a john.”, against a Toronto scape background. Targeting the men (johns) that are creating a market, through demand. If the message can hit home to even one person, I feel it can cause a ripple effect. Less demand, means less women and children forced into such lives.
