The London Abused Women's Centre and its community partners are getting a six-figure grant to help in their fight against the trafficking of women for the sex trade.
Ontario's Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister of Status of Women announced on Monday that LAWC will recieve $829,000 in funding to launch The Phoenix Anti-Trafficking Project. The project, a partnership between LAWC, Media Sonar, Salvation Army Correctional and Justice Services, Youth Opportunities Unlimited, and 13 other London agencies, aims to help women and girls escape the sex trade through co-ordinated and long-term support services.
“Given its proximity to the 401, London is both a destination city and recruitment city for sexual exploitation," said Megan Walker, executive director of LAWC. "Parents are losing their daughters and girls and women are losing their futures. The Phoenix Project allows us to provide exploited women and girls, along with their families, hope and help. Working collaboratively, we will make a difference in the lives of girls, women, families in the present and future.”
According to a news release from LAWC, the Phoenix Project will "improve the availability of services; increase accessibility and responsiveness of systems; accelerate system navigation; transition at-risk women/survivors back into the community; expand education and prevention programs; incorporate ground-breaking technology to aid service providers in helping women/girls."
Among the services it will provide are long-term counselling, a 24-hour crisis line, access to safe housing, and technology to help find trafficked women and girls who are reported missing by their families.
