Trafficking women: Gendered impacts of Canadian immigration policies

Abstract

Women and men are subject to different forms of human trafficking; sexual exploitation is more common for women than for men, and the purposes of trafficking follow gender roles. This article argues that Canadian immigration policies have differential and discriminatory impacts according to gender. We define human trafficking before critiquing two Canadian immigration programs that leave women vulnerable to exploitation. Interviews, questionnaires, and a review of official documents were employed in exploring the government's response to this phenomenon. Our findings suggest that given the nature of the international trafficking and exploitation of women in Canada, the government's focus on border control is ineffective in protecting trafficked women's human rights and the rights of migrants generally.