Aiming to eradicate sex exploitation in Canada, the #NotAChoice campaign was created and launched by the pan-Canadian Abolitionist Feminist Advocates in 2021. This campaign remains imperative in raising awareness of the devastating effects of sexual exploitation and the need to combat it comprehensively. This campaign indicates that prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation remain not a choice for many individuals involved in these activities. Still, it results from other factors like poverty and systemic inequalities. The PAFA campaign aims to advocate for legal and policy reforms to protect the rights of those involved in this exploitation, mobilize public opinion, and raise awareness (Blackstock et al. (2020). This campaign provided factual statics supported by evidence-based research to Canadians about the positive effects of PCEPA on the lives of women for whom this pain was inflicted. #NotAChoice campaign reflects co-dependence and intersections between media, politics, and identities in contemporary Canadian society. This project is a vital initiative that sheds light on an issue that affects many vulnerable individuals and communities in Canada, and it deserves our attention and support.
The NotAchoice campaign does not only address the issue of sexual exploitation but also child marriage which remains to be not a choice but a violation of human rights. PAFA came together to protect the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), which remains an imperative tool bringing Canada closer to eradicating sexual exploitation. The main goal of PAFA was to protect women against sexual exploitation and young girls against marriage. It defends the existing laws against the legislative challenges to decriminalize sex purchases. The campaign uses social media to raise awareness and provide evidence-based research on how PCEPA has positively impacted the lives of women and girls. The campaign had 9373773 ad impressions, and the number of unique individuals reached was 2, 426,937 nationwide. The click-through rates rose from 0.37% to 5.9%, and over five thousand people clicked on the ad (tbk, 2022). The campaign was supported by tbk, a web design company based in London, making this project more exciting.
The intersection between the media example and politics
The Media in the movement is used purposefully to spread the word about the Not a choice campaign in the real sense of the fact Media. In this social advocacy campaign, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were used as media channels to transmit information to the public. Politics played a significant role since the legislators tried to strike down PCEPA. By highlighting the experience of survivors of this barbaric act, the Media PAFA used social media not to engage in politics. Engaging political institutions and shaping public thinking to understanding how this woman feels Noury & Roland, (2020). This media example was an extraordinary moment for politicians, the public, and sex traffickers before the looming federal elections. The Media in the not-a-choice campaign was primarily used to hold authorities accountable for failing to address the sex exploitation in child marriages. This is done by reporting the cases of sexual exploitation through journal publishing and video postings and other ways of lack of action by those governments in charge of the perpetrators of those injustices.
Recent internet studies have highlighted the media’s role in shaping the diverse forms of political participation Logie et al. (2021). People are provided with cognitive and affective behavioural connections ignored to network collaboratively. The campaign for the eradication of sexual exploitation in Canada is aware of this fact, and that is why the campaign uses social media platforms to engage those political powers to change policies that oppress those that are marginalized and oppressed by these policies since media platforms are often persuasive and often work to change or influence opinions.
The intersection of Media and politics is evident in the way politicians and government officials engage with the Not Choice campaign. The government plays a crucial role in shaping how the public perceives the policies that are in place regarding the issue. Because in the campaign, the media plays a pivotal role in bringing to attention cases associated with identity and sexual exploitation and mobilizing the public to support its due causeLogie et al. (2021). The campaign’s intersection of media and politics underscores the importance of collaboration between stakeholders in addressing contemporary society’s complex issues. The eradication of sexual predation and sexual exploitation requires a collaborative and sustained effort from both the Media and the government to raise awareness and bring to book the sexual perpetrators.
In a political context, the Social Media campaign called for action by Canadian lawmakers and politicians to take a firmer stance on the issue of sexual exploitation. It highlights the need for stronger laws and policies that will be able to combat sexual exploitation in the country. To address this issue, the campaign stressed that politicians have a critical role to play Blackstock et al. (2020). The campaign helped promote a more informed public which, intern encouraged politicians to take action to protect women’s and girls’ rights.
The intersection between the media example and identities.
The Media plays a significant role in how we perceive others and ourselves. This makes media and identity to be inextricably linked. Media plays an essential role in the practices and ideologies of the implication of what belongs to whom and in which community. For example, the Media impacts how gender is perceived and unrepresented since it creates a sense of identity and practices of social belonging Crenshaw et al. (2005). For example, the reinforcement of traditional gender roles to women is done through the Media while Men are seen as the providers. In this campaign, PAFA highlights the intersection of Media and identities by focusing on the experiences of individuals subjected to conversion therapy. The campaign centres on LGBTQ+ individuals who have gone through conversion therapy based on the forced premise that being a member of this community is a choice that can be changed. PAFA, in this campaign, used social media platforms to provide a place for marginalized voices, such as women and young girls, to get vital information that relates to sexual exploitation as well as to make their voices heard Georgiou, (2010). through this campaign, AFA worked to effect policy change and promote gender protection for the LGBTQ+ communities and the young girls and women who were going through sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.
The campaign highlights how ways in which individuals from different communities and diverse backgrounds and identities might be vulnerable to exploitation. The movement on social media platforms highlighted how Indigenous women and young girls are affected by human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the country Logie et al. (2021). Media examples such as news stories, films, and documentaries were used to show how sexual exploitation impacts Indigenous communities, especially women, and how the exploitation is linked to these individuals’ broader economic disadvantages.
Additionally, the campaign highlighted ways in which not only women and young girls are affected by sexual exploitation but also members of the LGBTQ communities and members of other indigenous communities and how they are prone to sexual exploitation due to a range of social, economic, and cultural factors Georgiou, (2010). Through these revolutionary tools, the politically marginalized subjects have accused information that creates awareness about ways n which sexual exploitation and vices such as human trafficking are not isolated issues but are linked to factors that affect different communities in different ways. By highlighting the intersections between media and identity, the campaign has helped foster inclusive and intersectional understanding of the issues faced by the individuals who are perpetrated and encouraged people to take action in addressing the root cause of the exploitation and supporting those that are affected.
The intersection of politics and identities
The intersection of politics and identity discusses how political systems, practices, and policies can impact communities and individuals based on their identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, as well as the social and economic status Gil de Zúñiga et al. (2020). argues that gender, race, and other identities are considered in liberal discourse as vestiges of domination or biased which is a political framework that is used to marginalize or exclude those that are distinctively different from the rest. In response to this and to end the sexual exploitation in Canada, most women posted videos of personal testimonies, one of the most potent videos posted from individuals who had not only undergone conversion therapy but also had been part of the sexual exploits. This video allowed individuals to share their stories and experiences, which are impactful in raising awareness.
The laws makers, also supporting this campaign, posted educational videos to raise awareness of political systems that permutate them. These videos supported reforms that would strengthen the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA to eradicate sexual exploitation in Canada Gil de Zúñiga et al. (2020). In this video, the female lawmakers lamented how unfair structures in Canadian society laws disregard the welfare of women. Advocacy videos were also posted in this campaign to call for policy change and call the political leaders to end leaders to act to complete some of the policies that continue to oppress the marginalized, such as the conversion theory. This campaign frames some attributes, such as the conversion theory, as human rights violations.
The #NotAChoice campaign highlights the intersection and calls for attention to the criminal justice system’s role in perpetuating the sexual exploitation cycle. The campaign suggests that through the criminalization of sex work or prosecution of marginalized individuals involved in sex work, the CJS is a permutation of sexual exploitation. Since politics play a significant role in shaping this system, policies can contribute to greater justice or support perorate sexual exploitation.
Another example of the campaign’s intersection of politics and identities was the focus on Indigenous women and girls Crenshaw et al. (2005). The campaign highlighted ways through which the indigenous communities’ historical and present systemic oppression and discrimination and how they have contributed to the sexual exploitation and human trafficking of this community in Canada. Calling for political action to address the root cause of this vulnerability, the campaign challenged the political systems to intercede and help the indigenous communities through the formulation of policies that do not oppress women and girl children as well as indigenous communities.
The campaign also heightened how political systems and policies made up the government continue to play an upper hand in the vulnerability to sexual exploitation. This is done through laws that are made to have sex work illegal and limit women’s access to social welfare programs Bernstein (2005). This campaign called for political action and systematic review to address this barrier to the safety of human beings regardless of the identity and the originality of a person. They also called for a review of the laws and policies used to criminalize sex work to decriminalize and prioritize the autonomy and safety of every individual in the country.
The intersection of politics and identities highlights the importance of considering how political decisions and systems impact different groups of people differently and the need for policies and practices that prioritize equity, justice, and respect for human rights regardless of the individual’s background. Overall in the campaign importance of considering ways in which politics and identities intersect in the context of exploitation and human trafficking called for political reforms to address this vicious issue.
The issue of sexual exploitation in Canada is a serious and complex problem that requires a multifaceted approach to be addressed effectively. The campaign’s goals aligned with the recommendation provided by those actively participating. Educating the public on sexual exploitation and human trafficking was recommended and was among the campaign’s goals. The policy change was also advocated to strengthen policies that fight to eradicate sexual predation and exploitation.
In conclusion, this project addresses the role that is played by the campaign. The campaign remains to be a necessary and powerful initiative that fights against sexual exploitation. It does this through large messaging and effectively disseminating information, raising awareness of the harm caused. The campaign has highlighted that sexual exploitation is not a choice but rather a form of violence and abuse that must be eradicated from our society. By emphasizing the need for education and help for those who have survived the perpetrated individuals, the campaign has helped educate individuals and the public about this critical issue. It remains imperatively clear on this campaign’s impacts in Canada. It is only possible to create a more just and safer society if all institutions and the public work together to raise awareness and hold sexual perpetrators accountable.
References
Bernstein, M. (2005). Identity politics. Annual Review of Sociology, 31(1), 47-74.https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100054
Blackstock, C., Bamblett, M., & Black, C. (2020). Indigenous ontology, international law and the application of the Convention to the over-representation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care in Canada and Australia. Child abuse & neglect, 110, 104587.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104587
Crenshaw, K. W., & Bonis, O. (2005). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of colour. Cahiers du Genre, 39(2), 51-82.https://doi.org/10.3917/cdge.039.0051
Georgiou, M. (2010). Identity, space and the media: Thinking through the diaspora. Revue européenne des migrations internationales, 1, 17-35.
Gil de Zúñiga, H., & Chen, H. T. (2019). Digital media and politics: Effects of the great information and communication divides. Journal of Broadcasting & ElectronicMedia, 63(3), 365-373.https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2019.1662019
Logie, C. H., Perez-Brumer, A., & Parker, R. (2021). The contested global politics of pleasure and danger: Sexuality, gender, health, and human rights. Global public health, 16(5), 651-663.https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2021.1893373
Noury, A., & Roland, G. (2020). Identity politics and populism in Europe. Annual Review of Political Science, 23, 421-439.https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050718-033542
tbk. (2022, June 8). Tbk Case Study: Social Advocacy Equality Model Campaign in Canada – tbk. tbk Creative.https://www.tbkcreative.com/our-work/pan-canadian-abolition-feminist-advocates-equality-model/
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