Cassandra Harvey

Today, I sat before the Senate Committee to speak on Bill S-235, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking Act. 🤎

If you had told 16-year-old me, who was navigating motherhood, the child welfare system, and eventually exploitation, that one day I would be sitting before the Senate advocating for legislative change, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

I’m a survivor of sex trafficking, but I’m also a mom, an advocate, a leader, and someone who refuses to accept that the systems that failed me have to continue failing others.

Today wasn’t about sharing my story for sympathy. It was about using my experiences, education, and the work I’ve dedicated my life to, to push for meaningful change.

We NEED a national strategy to combat human trafficking. But we also need to stop waiting until someone has been exploited to offer them support.

We need to invest in prevention. We need to talk about the recruitment of young boys and young Black men into trafficking. We need mentorship, education, opportunities, and community-based programs that address the root causes of exploitation.

And we need to make sure that when survivors finally leave exploitation, they aren’t left fighting another battle just to rebuild their lives.

I have never expected the government to have all the answers. But I do expect accountability, transparency, and a genuine willingness to listen to the people most impacted by these decisions.

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to speak before the Senate, and I look forward to continuing to work with policymakers, advocates, and community leaders who genuinely want to see change.

I don’t want the next generation to have to survive what I did just to have their voices heard.

We’ve got work to do. 🤎