Is it trafficking?

Examining gender-based violence among women who do informal, precarious, and non-standard labour.

“Is it trafficking? Examining gender-based violence among women who do informal, precarious, and non-standard labour” est une étude de trois ans fondée dans l'Ouest canadien, financée par Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada.

This project documents the experiences of racialized women with workplace gender-based violence in order to inform policy, services, and prevention strategies.

It also assesses if and/or the extent to which Canada's anti-trafficking framework addresses workplace gender-based violence perpetrated against racialized women.

“Is it trafficking? Examining gender-based violence among women who do informal, precarious, non-standard work”

Is it trafficking? Examines gender-based violence among women who do informal, precarious, non-standard work

Is it trafficking? Woman doing no-standard work

Examining gender-based violence among women who do informal, precarious, non-standard work

While current intersectional approaches to gender-based violence services take into account race, ethnicity, gender, ability, age and other factors, few intersectional approaches consider occupation.

The work that many racialized women do is systemically unrecognized and undervalued and is the site of labour abuses, violence, exploitation, or trafficking.

Increased knowledge about work-related gender-based violence will inform and help improve the capacity of organizations and institutions at all levels in regard to prevention, policy, advocacy and further research in this area.

You can read the latest project update here.

GAATW Canada began this research in Fall 2023 and disseminated its findings in Spring 2026.

PHASE 1 (complete)

Project administration and research ethics approval.

PHASE 2 (complete)

Advisory group formation and participant recruitment.

PHASE 3 (complete)

Interviews with key stakeholders, including those with lived experience of gender-based violence in a variety of work sectors and the organizations that support them.

PHASE 4 (complete)

Analysis and recommendations.

PHASE 5 (in progress)

Systemic advocacy.

We will update this project webpage with our progress. Regardez le subscribe for email updates.

Is it Trafficking? Examining Gender-Based Violence Among Racialized and Migrant Women in Precarious, Informal, and Non-Standard Labour. A report by GAATW Canada

Is it Trafficking? Examining Gender-Based Violence Among Racialized and Migrant Women in Precarious, Informal, and Non-Standard Labour. Report Summary.

Explore Our Findings

The research project is now complete. GAATW Canada invites you to read the full report or download the two page summary. Regardez le webinaire ici.

Read the Full Report

Root Causes Series

In this series, we highlight some of the root causes of human trafficking and gender-based violence as they emerged from our research.

GAATW Canada Root Causes Series: Human Trafficking and Settler Colonial Policies: Migration Policies

GAATW Canada Root Causes Series: Human Trafficking and Neoliberal Capitalism

GAATW Canada Root Causes Series: Human Trafficking and Patriarchy

Is it trafficking?

Examining gender-based violence among women who do informal, precarious, and non-standard labour.

The work that many racialized women do is systemically unrecognized and undervalued and is the site of labour abuses, violence, exploitation, or trafficking.