It’s a rainy Thursday in March 2019, and Caroline Pugh-Roberts makes her way to the Western University campus. She’s speaking at an event hosted by the Abolition Project Against Human Trafficking.
With her are three girls, all women she knows from her years of community advocacy. They affectionately refer to her as their “adoptive mom.”
For Pugh-Roberts, sharing her experiences has become cathartic. When she tells her story, she speaks with the confidence and comfort of a close friend. It’s a stark contrast to the horrors she’s endured.
She’s come a long way from the first time spoke publicly. Talking so candidly about her life has become Pugh-Roberts’ daily norm. Today, she has the ability to bring people closer to an issue that often feels so far removed from everyday life in London, Ont.
“How do these young women who are in this horrific position even have a voice anymore?”
Pugh-Roberts says one of the biggest challenges to end sex trafficking in London is fighting the stigma victims are burdened with. She hopes that changing the public perception will make more victims likely to seek help from community resources.
“People will still say ‘she’s the whore’ and ‘why didn’t she leave?’” Pugh-Roberts says. “Stop. What we should be saying, instead of putting the onus on the victim, is ‘why didn’t he stop?’ She’s done nothing wrong.”
In order to break this cycle, Pugh-Roberts says there needs to be more education to end the demand. “It is because men buy sex that we have trafficking. People say it's the oldest profession; it's the oldest oppression.”
Ashley White, a sex trafficking victim herself, agrees. “If people weren't out here buying it, then there would be less demand for it,” she says.
Caroline hopes to change the way society speaks about victims.
“People say it’s the oldest profession; it’s the oldest oppression.”
Goldsmith says that at the London Abused Women Centre, they are advocating for the abolition of prostitution. “We believe that by enforcing the law the way it is now, that it is going to reduce the amount of sex purchasers, which in turn will reduce the need for trafficking,” she says.
The organization recently launched a digital media campaign to deter sex purchasers. On common advertising sites, like LeosLists.com, the London Abused Women’s Centre has implemented pop-ups that remind potential purchasers that they are committing a crime.
“In London, there are concerted efforts by multiple organizations and groups to make a difference.”
Awareness is the first step in change.
The city has made great strides in recognizing the magnitude of human trafficking in London, says Kim Ashby, a professor of sociology at Western University.
“If you went back 20 years ago, I’d say, nobody knew about it. If you went back 10 years ago, I’d said maybe a few people were starting to, but I think in London there are concerted efforts by multiple organizations and groups to make a difference,” she says. “I think people are starting to hear about it.”
Part of that increased awareness is due to the efforts of women like White and Pugh-Roberts. White says change will come with “more people coming forward and bringing more knowledge to people that aren't aware, or are oblivious to the situation.”
Another major component is education, especially among youth.
“Let's bring up our girls so that they don't feel that they are less than,” says Ashby.
“I think it's really important for our younger girls and boys to know know stranger danger,” says White. “Every kid knows that, but no kid really knows the kinds of stranger danger. I didn't know and I never thought that that could happen to me.”
At the London Abused Women’s Centre and Salvation Army, those steps are already being taken.
“We are always out in the community and we're collaborating with lots of organizations to just let people know that our door's always open, our services are free and no one is turned away,” says Goldsmith
It’s providing support for the women who are in the process of or have escaped that remains essential in London. Helping victims on multiple fronts, physically, emotionally and socially, is essential.
“Once you see certain things, you can’t unsee them and it just affects the way you see the world in general.”
“Once you see certain things, you can't unsee them and it just affects the way you see the world in general,” says White. It’s important to her that there is access to quality resources in the community to aid victims in their recovery.
For Kim Ashby, it’s about providing a voice to the voiceless. “How do these young women who are in this horrific position even have a voice anymore?”
It’s these ideas that Pugh-Roberts holds with her as she moves forward.
She offers a beacon of hope for women looking to find peace in life after being trafficked.
“I know that there’s life after. Not only is there life after but you can flourish.”