The Pan-Canadian Abolitionist Feminist Advocates / Alliées féministes abolitionistes pancanadiennes (PAFA) was formed in February 2021 and includes groups from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. PAFA has come together to protect the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). PCEPA is a tool that brings Canada closer to eradicating sexual exploitation.
PAFA will strenuously defend the existing law against the continued and relentless legislative challenges to decriminalize sex purchasers, brothel owners and traffickers. Protecting women and girls by protecting the legislation is PAFA’s goal.
On August 3, 2021, PAFA will launch its national digital public awareness campaign. Ads running for three months on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will provide factual and statistical information, backed by evidence-based research, to the public about the positive impact of PCEPA on the lives of women and girls, communities, and future generations.
The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act recognizes prostitution as a violent crime committed mostly against women and girls by men. The Act makes prostitution and the commercial sex industry illegal in Canada by criminalizing sex purchasers, third party advertisers, other parties who receive material benefit, and those groom and recruit women and girls into prostitution. Women who advertise or sell their own sexual services are IMMUNE from prosecution.
Except for the criminal offence of sex purchasing, all other criminal offences are to the recruitment of women and girls into prostitution, advertising the sexual services of women and girls, and benefiting from the sale of those services. These are the activities of sex traffickers.
Polls show Canadians do not support decriminalizing sex purchasers, brothel owners and traffickers. PAFA stands with Canadians whose voices have been ignored.
See the campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“Those who are trying to strike down PCEPA are trying to protect the violent sex industry, not women and girls.” – Jennie-Laure Sully, La Cles
““Prostituted and trafficked women and girls long to be free from sex purchasers and traffickers. Their hope for freedom is often the only thing that keeps them alive. Decriminalizing the very industry that oppresses them destroys that hope and as such, their lives.” – Megan Walker, London Abused Women’s Centre
“Preventing men from buying, exploiting and profiting from girls and women in prostitution is crucial. Women must also be provided with Guaranteed Livable Income, detox and long-term recovery programs, child-care, and safe, affordable housing to get free from violence.” – Hilla Kerner, Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter
_________________________________________________________
Founding PAFA member are available for interviews :
Jennie-Laure Sully, 438-933-6584, jennie-laure.sully@lacles.org,
Megan Walker, 226-376-0781, meggiewalk@icloud.com
Hilla Kerner, 604-872-8212, hillak@rapereliefshelter.bc.ca,