Attend the third annual World YWCA Day Breakfast

Kitchener - YWCA Kitchener/Waterloo will be hosting the 3rd Annual World YWCA Breakfast Friday, April 25 2009 at the Delta Hotel Grand Ballroom in Kitchener. The Keynote Speaker Galina Tsiuryna, General Secretary, La Strada International for YWCA Belarus. She will be discussing the Global Impact of Human Trafficking.

La Strada International is a network of nine independent human rights Non-Governmental Organizations. It aims to prevent the trafficking of human beings, with a focus on women in Central and Eastern Europe. YWCA Belarus, which has focussed on anti-trafficking since 1998, joined the La Strada network in 2001. Since then, La Strada Belarus has become recognized as an independent expert organisation on human trafficking, acting as a resource and consultation centre for other NGOs, government offices, and international agencies based in Belarus. It focuses on education and prevention, advocacy, and providing social assistance to trafficked persons.

For more information about La Strada International, visit www.lastradainternational.org.

Canada has a role in preventing human trafficking. According to the RCMP:
-600-800 victims are trafficked each year.
-Another 1,500-2,200 victims are trafficked annually to the USA.
-The profits of human trafficking in Canada are estimated at $120-$400 million annually, making trafficking the third highest criminal moneymaker, after drugs and weapons.
-Of the victims of human trafficking, 80% are women, and 50% of those are under 18.
-Girls and women often have to service between 500 and 700 men before paying off their so-called debts.
-In Toronto, 100 girls are supplied yearly to the sex trade. These girls will produce approximately $5 million in profits.

The Breakfast will be held Friday April 24, 2009 at the Delta Hotel, 105 King St. Kitchener. Tickets are $32 each, and are on sale now! Tax receipts will be provided for the eligible portion of the cost.

To reserve your ticket contact Marg Mackenzie at 519.576.8856 ext. 102 or marg.mackinzie@ywcakw.on.ca.

For complete event details or more information about YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo visit www.ywcakw.on.ca.