A recent forum with 性视界传媒鈥檚 Vulnerable Women and Girls Working Group highlighted the need for a nighttime drop-in location for women working in the sex trade, but trying to find the right location can be a 鈥渟truggle.鈥�

Bonnie Moriarty, co-chair of the 性视界传媒 Vulnerable Women and Girls Working Group, said a forum on June 18, brought together women with 鈥渓ived experience鈥� in the sex trade, local politicians and not-for-profits.

It was meant to find out what are some of the priorities for what鈥檚 happening on the streets, including a report from vulnerable women and girls and what they wanted, Moriarty said.

鈥淚t was evident that, certainly, a nighttime drop in is what people were interested in,鈥� said Moriarty. 鈥淭here was a real focus, I think, that was clear. Without us even asking and saying this is what we want 鈥� it kind of came out of that.鈥�

She said the forum discussed models of what the drop in could look like, such as working with people with 鈥渓ived experience in the sex trade that would be very active in participating in the running of the drop in.鈥�

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With the forum, Moriarty said she hopes it will get a plan together for a drop-in centre.

鈥淚f you think about a drop in, particularly where women are coming off the street, it would have to be in a specific area because community often doesn鈥檛 want it in residential areas or in highly condensed business areas 鈥� that鈥檚 always the struggle with where it would be allowed,鈥� she said.

However, there is an issue with some of the women being 鈥渟cattered out鈥� throughout the city.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the problem with 性视界传媒, it鈥檚 so spread out and we don鈥檛 even know sometimes where women are,鈥� she said.

The working group has its SMART (性视界传媒 Mobile Assault Response Team) Van that drives around four to six nights a week from about 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., trying to help serve women working on the street. It鈥檚 modelled after WISH Vancouver鈥檚 MAP (Mobile Access Project) Van.

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Moriarty said WISH came out to 性视界传媒 with its van initially and she said she was told 性视界传媒 has the 鈥渟ame amount of women on the street as they do in Vancouver.鈥�

鈥淭he interesting thing about 性视界传媒, if you think about it, is 性视界传媒 is so spread out, women are in different kind of pockets of the area and that鈥檚 the real danger because they鈥檙e often really isolated and kind of with nobody else around in areas that are unsafe,鈥� Moriarty said.

鈥淣ot to say that doesn鈥檛 happen in Vancouver, but there鈥檚 a real concentrated area, I think, in Vancouver where they鈥檙e around other people. There鈥檚 some accountability.鈥�

Michelle Ninow, the social planning consultant, said the Vulnerable Women and Girls Working Group was able to learn from WISH.

鈥淲e did the research to make sure that model would work in 性视界传媒. It鈥檚 actually the thing that made the most sense to get going as soon as we could,鈥� said Ninow, adding that because 性视界传媒 is so large, it鈥檚 hard to serve everyone from one location.

Ninow said it came up that the women would 鈥渞eally love鈥� to see the SMART Van out on the street all night long and until daylight.

Also during the forum, Ninow said the participants asked, 鈥淲hat does safe and accessible service look like for mean to you?鈥�

She said the women said it should feel like 鈥渁 community鈥� where people know you, along with female staff in a facility that is well-maintained and clean.

鈥淲ith people around when you need it and they watch out for you,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he staff know the women coming in, they have a connection to them 鈥� a personal connection 鈥搒o they can build on that personal connection, get to know the women and know what they need in order to get their needs met and get more stability in their life.鈥�

The 性视界传媒 Vulnerable Women and Girls Working Group was formed in 2013 after a homeless woman, Janice Shore, was beat to death in 性视界传媒, .

鈥淎s her story emerged afterwards, it became clear that Janice鈥檚 struggles with mental illness and addictions had increased her vulnerability and the challenges that she faced to meet her daily needs and stay safe.鈥�

Afterward, non-profits and government representatives came together to 鈥減ool their knowledge and build their understanding of the unmet needs and challenges faced by vulnerable females in 性视界传媒.鈥�

The working group includes seven not-for-profits (Elizabeth Fry Society, Options Community Services, Lookout Emergency Aid Society, Pacific Community Resources Society, Atira Women鈥檚 Resource Centre, YWCA and 性视界传媒 Women鈥檚 Centre), along with the City of 性视界传媒, 性视界传媒 RCMP, Fraser Health, BC Housing, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Public Safety Canada.

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