The Body Shop
In 2009, ECPAT International launched the Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People campaign with The Body Shop. This three-year campaign engaged the public as advocates and called on governments to safeguard the right of children and adolescents to be free from sexual exploitation. This campaign was an enormous success internationally and in Canada.
The Body Shop helped raise funds for ECPAT organizations through the sale of Soft Hands, Kind Heart Hand Cream. These funds allowed Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada to pursue many worthwhile projects including the:
- Creation of an ongoing Man-to-Man campaign that focuses on the demand side of child sex trafficking and involves Canadian celebrities
- Pursuit of legal intervention in cases with national significance to the rights of children and youth victims
- Development of training materials to be used with organizations and businesses looking to advance their CSR initiatives
The campaign also involved a petition that was launched in all The Body Shop stores across Canada and signed by more than a half million Canadians calling on the government to take more action to stop child sex trafficking. Beyond Borders / ECPAT Canada and The Body Shop handed the Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People petition to the Canadian government on August 31, 2011. Internationally, similar petitions influenced governments in 16 countries to commit to long-term legislative change that will help protect children.