Defend Dignity announces that Julia Ellergodt has been appointed as our interim Executive Director. Julia has been involved with Defend Dignity since its inception in 2010, serving for many years on our advisory team and more recently as chair of our board of directors. She brings to this new role a passion for the work of ending sexual exploitation and …
This week the federal government introduced their Online Harms bill (Bill C-63). This long-awaited bill is very broad in scope, covering issues ranging from online hate speech to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Defend Dignity, and many others, feel that the sexual exploitation issues being addressed by Bill C-63 are so critical that they merit their own dedicated legislation …
Defend Dignity is excited to share that we’ve officially received our independent registered charitable status. This is another milestone in the journey of Defend Dignity which began as a small social justice initiative under The Alliance Canada in 2010 and has grown to become a respected national voice on sexual exploitation issues. “We are so grateful to The Alliance Canada …
Today the Ontario Superior Court released its decision to uphold PCEPA, Canada’s prostitution laws, thereby dismissing the constitutional challenge brought forward against it by sex industry advocacy groups in 2021. Defend Dignity applauds this crucial decision to uphold laws that fight sexual exploitation and reduce the demand for paid sex. “This decision recognizes the harms that prostitution involves and the …
Defend Dignity joins other organizations around the globe in commending Instagram for disabling Pornhub’s account on their platform. Defend Dignity, along with other global partners, has been meeting with Instagram executives for over 3 years. In that time we’ve pointed out the need for Instagram to take action against harmful, sexually violent content on their platform. As a result of …
– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 15, 2021 Today, a group of 52 survivors of sexual exploitation and 158 other stakeholders sent a joint letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to uphold and defend the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). A copy of the letter was sent to the leaders of the other political …
1,200 people attended the first ever virtual Canadian Sexual Exploitation Summit: Disrupt Demand on May 6,7, 2021. The event was hosted by Defend Dignity along with 7 sponsors including the Manitoba government’s Tracia’s Trust Sexual Exploitation Strategy. The purpose of the Summit was to bring awareness to the rarely acknowledged demand side of sexual exploitation. Without demand there would be …
Download Press Release Instagram is “Predator’s Paradise,” Says International Group of Human Rights NGOs Joint International Campaign Launched by Defend Dignity (CDN) the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (USA), Collective Shout (AU) Toronto, ON – Today three anti-sexual exploitation organizations from three different countries— Defend Dignity (Canada),the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (United States), Collective Shout (Australia)—launched a campaign to …
Defend Dignity welcomes the newest report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights which was presented to parliament on December 11th, 2018. The report, entitled “Moving Forward in the Fight Against Human Trafficking in Canada”, includes seventeen recommendations for the Justice Minister pertaining to the government’s approach to human trafficking. Defend Dignity believes the recommendations made by the …
The Buying Sex is a Crime campaign is supported by a wide cross-section of groups from across the country that are united in our desire to see an end to sexual exploitation in Canada. Buying sex, or attempting to buy sex, is illegal in Canada. In 2014, Canada passed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, which declared that …
