A modern equal civil society does not buy and sell women and children.
Cathy Peters raises awareness about the issue of human sex trafficking, sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking for the purpose of prostitution. She speaks and presents to politicians, police and the public.
Today’s slavery has low costs and huge profits; a trafficker can make hundreds of thousands of dollars per victim per year.
The average age of entry into prostitution is 12–14 years of age in Canada, although traffickers are targeting children as young as 8. There has been a dramatic increase in child exploitation along with the production and consumption of child pornography. Unregulated technology has increased the demand for commercially paid sex.
The biggest problem in Canada is that the public is unaware of the issue. Women, youth, children, the marginalized and vulnerable will become potential targets and victims unless we do something to stop it.
Be Amazing. Learn. Share. Alert.
Cathy Peters is a former inner city high school teacher and, since 2014, has made over 650 presentations to more than 20,000 people.
She has received 17 Challenge Coins from Kitimat, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Richmond, Surrey, and Chilliwack RCMP detachments, the RCMP HQ Counter Exploitation Unit, and from the RCMP Headquarters E Division Commanding Officer, Federal Corrections, New Westminster Police Department after presenting at the Justice Institute, Delta, Abbotsford, Victoria, and three coins from Vancouver Police Department.
Cathy’s work was introduced in the BC Legislature. She had a booth at the 2019 and 2023 UBCM conventions for BC civic and provincial politicians. She was asked to present to three Federal Justice Committees and to the Federal Status of Women Committee on Human Trafficking. Cathy has been a speaker to three MMIWG gatherings, numerous Indigenous groups and had a booth at the July 2022 Assembly of First Nations Convention.
In 2022 she presented at the Global Summit Connecting to Protect: Addressing the Harms of Porn on Youth from a Public Health Perspective (University of Calgary), presented at the first RCMP Human Trafficking webinar for law enforcement across Canada, and in 2023 presented at the Canadian Sexual Exploitation Summit. Cathy received a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for her anti-human trafficking advocacy work.
“Society and culture have come to a point where the most vulnerable are not being protected. Today’s youth, children, the vulnerable and marginalized are at a huge risk of early sexualization and sexual predation. They are aggressively targeted for sexual exploitation yet unaware of the insidious, coercive and manipulative tactics of the sex industry. As a society we have a moral obligation to address this exploitation immediately, resolutely and robustly. If we do not do so, the harm caused to future generations will be incalculable.” —Cathy Peters
Be Amazing Campaign Multimedia
Audio recording of “Child Sex Trafficking in Canada and How to Stop It: Second Edition” book launch. June 2025.
Presentation to the School Boards. July 2024. Watch time: 8:38
Well Informed Podcast (Clip). September 13, 2024. Watch time: 00:58
Well Informed Podcast. September 13, 2024. Watch time: 37:31
Conversations That Matter. March 15, 2024. Watch time: 23:47
Careers That Matter. March 15, 2024. Watch time: 15.48
Cathy Peters Awareness Presentation. Cathy was keynote speaker at the Abbotsford Be Well, Be Safe event with strategies on how to keep youth safe from trafficking, exploitation, gangs, and bullying. Watch time: 17:00
Cathy Peters Interview with Anna Grace. Cathy interviews a sexual exploitation survivor at the Be Well, Be Safe event in Abbotsford, British Columbia on October 18, 2023. Watch time: 19:55
Making a difference in the community
Cathy initiated public presentations in 2014 and has made hundreds of presentations to politicians, police, and the public, and more lately to police boards, school boards, frontline service providers, Indigenous groups, church groups, service clubs, chambers of commerce, justice committees, national summits, and has given interviews to magazines, radio programs, TV newscasts, podcasts, and newspapers.
Resources
The following items are available for download, or will direct you to an external website.
Harpreet Singh Podcast
RED 89.1FM Vancouver
Child Sex Trafficking is on the Rise in Canada
Article with Audio Interview
Kids Face Increased Threat of Luring and Sextortion Online
Article
Chilliwack’s children at risk for sex trafficking says B.C. anti-trafficking advocate
Article
Fernie.com
Fernie in Child Sex Trafficking Triangle
Article
Vancouver Sun
Conversations That Matter
Document
Submission Brief to Canada’s Federal Status of Women Committee
Document
Input for the Report to the United Nations Human Rights Council
THE QUEEN’S
PLATINUM JUBILEE
MEDAL RECIPIENT
Cathy was honoured to receive the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022 for her anti-human trafficking advocacy work.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
Child Sex Trafficking in Canada and How To Stop It: Second Edition and Child Sex Trafficking in the USA and How To Stop It are books that should have never had to be written. But here we are.
There is a serious and escalating problem with this crime in both countries and globally.
Cathy Peters has now written a total of three books on the issue, including this new book for the USA, published in 2026. Similar to the Canadian book, there is up-to-date information and resources highlighting the strategies to stop sexual exploitation.
While this issue has taken me decades to understand hopefully these books will shorten the process for the reader. Anyone and everyone can make a difference. And we must.
ALSO AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
“Stopping Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation: Strategies for Public Health Providers”
20 pages, soft-cover booklet
With appreciation to Interior Health Authority, Lions Gate Hospital, Canadian Medical Students Against Human Trafficking (CAMSAHT), Canadian Mental Health Association, Cariboo Chilcotin (Anti-Violence Program) for the opportunity to present this material. Hard copies are available for $5.00 each plus postage. Please use the contact form to order your copies.
“Stopping Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation: Strategies the Indigenous”
20 pages, soft-cover booklet
Thank you to Okanagan Native Alliance and the YES (You Empowered Strong) Program Initiatives and Speaker series for the opportunity to present this material. Hard copies are available for $5.00 each plus postage. Please use the contact form to order your copies.
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline
24/7 Confidential Number: 1-833-900-1010
VictimLinkBC
24/7 Confidential, Multilingual Service Across BC
Call or Text: 1-800-563-0808
Email: VictimLinkBC@bc311.ca
