1 woman, 5 pairs of heels and a 3,000-km journey shed light on human trafficking

endure yr, Dora Alcover go down come out from Barcelona, espana on the journey of a lifetime.

Her goal? Walk 3,000 kilometres across Europe in heels to raise awareness about sex trafficking and funds for Reaching Out Romania, an organization that helps victims.

After 280 days, nine countries and five pairs of platform heels, the 25-year-old Quebecer arrived at her destination in Craiova, Romania earlier this month.

In 2024, the Romanian government identified 600 trafficking victims, 55 per cent of whom were children. Of the total, 449 were sex trafficking victims. While many were exploited within Romania, others were trafficked to western Europe.

But human trafficking isn't something that only happens abroad.

According to Statistics Canada, there were 5,070 human trafficking incidents reported by police services in Canada from 2014 to 2024, "representing an average annual rate of 1.2 incidents per 100,000 population."

The vast majority of victims were women and girls, two-thirds of whom were younger than 25.

The government warns, however, the true extent of human trafficking is unknown. Victims can go unrecognized and many can be reluctant to report a crime to authorities.

Alcover said she wanted to shine a light on the issue.

"This project was my way to be, 'OK, I’m going to do a little something in my own way.'"

As for the heels — Alcover said it was about representing women and taking back control of the narrative on the sexualization of women.

Women, she said, are often judged or perceived in a certain way for how they dress. With her platform heels, Alcover said she wanted to show that hyper femininity can be "super powerful" and not a weakness, as it is so often made out to be.

Human trafficking, according to the description used by the federal government, "involves recruiting, transporting, sheltering or controlling the movements of a person for the purposes of exploitation, usually for sexual reasons or forced labour."

This Quebec woman strutted across Europe in heels to fight against human trafficking

In Montreal, groups that work with survivors of sex trafficking welcome the initiative.

"What she's doing just by walking, you know, and crossing different borders, there is a metaphor to it," said Cynthia Beaulieu, the executive director of the Coalition québécoise contre la traite de personnes.

"Here in Quebec, what we've seen so far, it's girls and women, you know, from different regions, crossing other regions, crossing different provinces," she said of human trafficking victims.

Beaulieu said girls and women are commonly trafficked in Montreal because it's so close to Ontario and the U.S. Border.

She said displacing them out of their environment, especially locations where they don't speak the language, keeps them isolated and makes it more difficult for them to seek help.

Beaulieu said anyone can become a victim of trafficking or sexual exploitation and a common ploy is the "Romeo tactic."

"It seems that every trafficker read the same book, right? Because they will lure the victim," she said. "They will offer her, you know, new clothes, jewelry, new phone. So it's very exciting."

Traffickers and pimps, she said, generally identify a need, be it love, housing, drugs, and fill that need, exerting more and more control over a victim before eventually asking for payback.

And social media isn’t helping. Beaulieu says it’s another location where traffickers can lure and advertise their victims.

Ian Lafrenière, Quebec's domestic security minister and deputy premier, said he's proud of the work the province has done on the issue, including applying most recommendations that came out of a special commission to look into the sexual exploitation of minors.

He said a lot of funding has also gone into prevention, with groups going from school to school to provide tools to youth to make the right decisions.

Still, he said, it's a complex issue with many victims that will take time and effort to solve.

"Yes, government needs to be involved. But believe me, this is something huge. We've got so many victims. And why do we have victims? Because people are willing to pay to have sex with a 12-year-old."

Beaulieu said, however, sexual exploitation is not just about demand.

"It's also related to exploitation due to rising economic inequality and systemic discrimination," she said. "Poverty, racism, discrimination and gender equality" are all contributing factors.

The coalition believes more support and resources are needed to help survivors get back on their feet.

"Sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, it has major consequences in the life of the survivors. They can have nightmares for years," she said. Many exploiters also continue to exert pressure on victims and it can take several tries before they manage to leave the situation.

The coalition is hoping for more funding for specialized shelters that can provide around-the-clock care and cater to survivors' very specific needs. She added there's also a need for transitional housing.

"Because right now, with the housing crisis, it's a major barrier for them to regain power over their life, for their autonomy as well."

As for Alcover, she's planning a return to Quebec and hoping to do a similar high-heeled trek during the winter.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, there are many ways to get help. In an emergency, call 911. There is also a Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010 or text 233733.

Journalist

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