Illegal Sex work and violence against women are both problems in Manitoba, and a few local groups sought to bring attention to them in Dauphin yesterday.
Tomorrow is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The day is in honour of 14 women killed in a mass shooting at a Quebec university in 1989, a luncheon was held at the Dauphin Friendship Centre to talk about sexual violence and exploitation.
Women's Advisory Council member Suzie Secord helped organize the event. She says sexist jokes can sometimes normalize violence against women, so it's important to speak up when they're said.
"I think when you hear jokes about violence or jokes with a sexual connotation, you can say something about it. If you see women being treated poorly, you can say something about it. That kind of behaviour isn't appropriate."
Nicole Yunker, a volunteer with Boxes of Love, spoke about the sexual exploitation of women, and how many young girls are coerced into sex work.
She says statistics about people going missing should not be ignored.
"When we hear statistics about missing and murdered individuals, we also need to be aware that there are individuals being trafficked. So the first piece is awareness."
Yunker said Boxes of Love is looking for donations of new or used girl's clothes to send to Ukrainian orphans. Donations can be dropped off at Parkland Crossing by December 10.
