My Reflections on Bill C-36
Over the summer, I spent a lot of time speaking with sex workers in my home province of BC. This was in anticipation of Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. As a result, I heard many stories over the past months, and was moved by a [...]
Bangladesh’s Garment Workers: The Story of Shapla
Part Two of Senator Jaffer's Blog Series on Bangladesh's Garment Workers. (Part One: Bangladesh’s Garment Workers: Safety is Paramount) Regardless of the curveballs that get thrown at us on a daily basis, there is a consistency in going to and from work. On April 24, 2013, 18-year-old Shapla went to work [...]
One Family Torn Apart is one too many: World Refugee Day 2014
50 million people worldwide are either refugees or internally displaced, this is an overwhelming number. All refugees have lost their country, but each of us has a different story. Some of us are extremely lucky and have found a new home here in Canada, however many are still suffering. This past [...]
Bangladesh’s Garment Workers: Safety is Paramount
Aerial view of the building following the disaster. Photo credit: Flikr user: rijans On April 24th 2013, The Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, leaving approximately 1,133 workers dead and injuring 2,500 more. As the pinnacle of a series of deadly accidents in Bangladesh’s garment industry, this incident [...]
Targets of War: Women in The Central African Republic
Instead of being able to provide for her family, a mother instead fears for a more fundamental necessity: the survival of her children. She fears for their safety, as well as her own. She finds herself distraught as she contemplates what fate her children will be left to if she [...]
We Must Not Abandon the Children of the Central African Republic
Anti-balaka fighters from the town of Bossembele patrol in the Boeing district of Bangui, Central African Republic, February 24, 2014 (Photo:REUTERS/Camille Lepage) The Central African Republic (CAR), as the name suggests, is landlocked in the center of six African countries that continue to experience conflict. Sudan, South Sudan, [...]