A digital ad campaign by the London Abused Women’s Centre (LAWC) to get information to exploited women and girls and reduce overall sex trafficking in the province drove more people to reach out to the agency for help.
The two-month awareness initiative ran from February 1 to March 31 with a variety of different ads on social media that targeted victims of sex trafficking, those at risk of being trafficked, and men who buy sex.
The centre said on Friday the campaign generated 5,149,553 impressions, potentially reaching hundreds of thousands of people in London and surrounding area.
“We know that London, Ontario is a destination and recruitment city for sexual exploitation due to is close proximity to the 401. Using technology to reach out to women and girls who are at risk of being sex trafficked through a digital campaign has consistently been effective," LAWC Associate Executive Director Jennifer Dunn said in a statement. “COVID-19 has made it difficult for women and girls to reach out for service. Raising awareness through digital advertising helps remind those who are at risk, we are here."
The agency has seen a 75 per cent increase in calls for help and a 46 per cent rise in "contact us" forms submitted through its website, compared to this time last year.
"As calls for help increase, our highly trained staff continue to provide support, advocacy and counselling to trafficked women and girls and their families," said Dunn.
Earlier this month, the centre announced it hired four additional employees to provide front-line service because of the "staggering" number of women seeking assistance.
