“Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.” — Lin Yutang
In 2025, we saw that road take shape. Step by step, through shared purpose and collective action, hope became something tangible in the work of Defend Dignity. It is the reason we do what we do—and it is a road none of us have walked alone.
As we reflect on the past year, we do so with deep gratitude, recognizing that none of this would have been possible without you walking alongside us. From education and advocacy to survivor support and policy engagement, 2025 has been a powerful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together with awareness, advocacy and aid at its core.
Here’s a snapshot of the roads we built together this year—and the hope that continues to guide us forward.
AWARENESS
Educating through our Digital Dignity Webinar Series
This year, we proudly hosted seven webinars as part of our Digital Dignity Series, creating accessible, thoughtful spaces for parents, caregivers, educators, and advocates to better understand the online world children and youth are navigating every day.
Together, these conversations explored topics like artificial intelligence, digital device safety, online exploitation, and practical tools for safeguarding children in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
REVEAL Events
We hosted a REVEAL event in Moose Jaw, SK with online expert, Val Caldwell. We created a space for learning, dialogue, and community connection. REVEAL events continue to be a meaningful way for us to engage directly with families, professionals, and advocates across Canada.
Resources for Families
We also created our Online Digital Safety Handbook, a comprehensive resource designed to empower parents and caregivers with clear, actionable guidance for keeping kids safer online.
This year, we published 8 blog posts, tackling timely and practical topics such as Parenting in the age of AI, Understanding Bill S‑209 and a Christmas shopping guide for parents. We have many others planned for 2026 and we cannot wait to share them with our community.
ADVOCACY
Policy, Advocacy, and Parliamentary Engagement
Advocacy remained a central pillar of our work in 2025. We submitted briefs to Senate Committees and the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, contributing evidence-informed perspectives on Bill S-209 and the ongoing study of Section 810 of the Criminal Code and women’s safety
We also appeared before the Canadian Heritage Parliamentary Committee in Parliament to speak about the effects of social media and social media influencers on children and adolescents. Following this appearance, we submitted a seven-page written follow-up, reinforcing our recommendations and expanding on the evidence shared in committee.
We launched our Biweekly Bulletin, creating a new way to keep our community informed, engaged, and connected to timely issues in prevention, policy, and digital safety.
AID
Supporting Survivors
In 2025, we had two intakes – spring and fall of the Survivor Support Fund, raising $65,695 to support 104 survivors. This fund exists to meet survivors where they are. It offers practical support when it’s needed most for things like a new bed, funds to find a new apartment, tuition costs, trauma therapy and tattoo removal for survivors of exploitation nationwide. We are incredibly thankful to every donor who made this possible.
ORGANIZATIONALY
Behind the scenes, we invested in the long-term strength of Defend Dignity. We held a strategic planning session in April with our Board of Directors and staff to shape the next two years of our work, ensuring our programs, advocacy, and partnerships remain impactful.
Growing and Evolving as a Team
This year brought change within our organization. We said heartfelt goodbyes to valued team members and warmly welcomed two new staff, whose skills and passion are already strengthening our work.
Connecting Across Canada
In addition to our programming, we attended the EmpowerMen conference in Winnipeg, MB – learning from partners, sharing our expertise, and continuing to build a national conversation around prevention, dignity, and digital safety.
LOOKING AHEAD
As we reflect on 2025, we are filled with deep gratitude—for our supporters, partners, board members, staff, and the families and survivors who trust us with this work. Every webinar attended, brief submitted, resource shared, and conversation started represents another step taken together on the road we are building—one shaped by hope, courage, and shared commitment.
Because of you, that road has led us closer to fulfilling our mission to end sexual exploitation and to foster a society where every person is seen as worthy and treated with dignity. What began as hope has become movement, impact, and real change.
Thank you for walking this journey with us. We look forward with hope and determination to continuing the work together in 2026.
Julia Ellergodt
Interim Executive Director