Inuit girls at risk of human trafficking, says report author

The author of a new report says Inuit women and girls are at risk for human trafficking.

Helen Roos, who prepared the document for the federal Department of Justice, says Inuit communities are vulnerable because of the high rates of extreme poverty,shortage of housingand levels of abuse.

She says that makes it easier for women and girls to be lured by the promise of a job or amodellingcontract in the south.Instead women and girls mayfind themselves forced into prostitution in Winnipegor Ottawa.

• Visit cbc.ca Aboriginal

Roos says her group talked to Inuit youth who were rescued from the street.

"Some girls were being approached, being given flights to go down south either as drug mulesor there's some money being exchanged into families for them to leave and go south."

Roos says there are concerns about the lack of safeguards around Inuit custom adoptionsuch as criminal record checks and home studies.She says there are reports Inuit women are being approached and asked to sell their babies.

Her report made headlines in a national newspaper with an article saying that Inuit families are selling their babies and children, sometimes into prostitution.

Rebecca Kudloo, president of Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, says she wasn't happy with the newspaper article.

"We're very disappointed and concerned about this article and how Inuit are being portrayed," she said. "I think it stereotypes Inuit parents and our society, our children."

ButKudloo says the report doesvoice valid concerns about the vulnerability of women and children via social media.

"Sometimes the predators grab our children through the Internet, so watch what children are doing on the computers," she said.

The author of the report hopes discussions will continueand that the RCMP and organizations will take a closer look at what's going on.