Trisha Baptie

Trisha Baptie, a settler living on the traditional homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations is a survivor of prostitution from the ages of 13 to 28. She is known for wanting to change the conversation surrounding the sex industry to focus on and question the buyers of sex and those who profit from the sale of sex. Trisha does this by addressing the systemic issues that drive women into prostitution, which lead to their vulnerability to human trafficking, prostitution, and the sex industry as a whole. There are many factors to consider, some of which are poverty, sexism, racism, colonialism, mental health, addiction, and the pornified culture we live in. In addition to giving a TEDx talk, participating in short documentaries and a National Film Board of Canada documentary titled Buying Sex, being a citizen journalist who covered the trial of Canada’s most prolific killer (who took some of her friends from her), doing a myriad of speaking engagements over the years, giving numerous interviews, working with politicians, feminists, educators and many other groups as part of her CV, she is also an inaugural member of the International Survivors of Trafficking Advisory Council (ISTAC). The purpose of ISTAC is to assist OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe under ODIHR - Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in combating trafficking in human beings. In 2008 Trisha founded a group that fuels her passion for real concrete change, EVE - formerly Exploited Voices now Educating, which is a vehicle for survivors to have a voice in policy, law discussions and reform.