CEDAW/C/CAN/CO/8-9 considered as offenders and irregular migrants, rather than as victims, and the lack of sufficient data on victims of trafficking; (c) The lack of information regarding the elaboration and adoption of the next national action plan, given that the first national action plan recently expired ; (d) The lack of systematically organized rehabilitation and reintegration measures, including access to counselling, medical treatment, psychological support and redress, including compensation, for victims of trafficking, in particular for indigenous and migrant women, who are not automatically entitled to temporary residence permits unless they cooperate with the police and judicial authorities; (e) Reports that indigenous women and girls in foster care and in child welfare system are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking; (f) The insufficient efforts to prevent trafficking and exploitation of women and girls in prostitution and to address its root causes; (g) The potentially increased risk to the security and health of women in prostitution, particularly indigenous women, brought about by the criminalization of prostitution under certain circumstances as provided for in the new legislation. 33. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Investigate, prosecute and adequately punish all cases of trafficking in persons, especially women and girls; (b) Strengthen measures to identify and provide support to women at risk of trafficking, in particular unaccompanied children; (c) and age; Improve access to data on victims of trafficking, disaggregated by sex (d) Expeditiously assess the impact of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (2012-2016) and adopt a new plan for the period 2017-2020; (e) Provide victims of trafficking with adequate access to health care and counselling and strengthen human, technical and financial resources to social work centres and targeted training for social workers dealing with victims of trafficking; (f) Ensure that all victims of trafficking, irrespective of their ethnic, national or social background, obtain effective protection and redress, including rehabilitation and compensation; (g) Address the root causes of trafficking and exploitation of women and girls in prostitution by adopting and implementing adequately resourced programmes and other appropriate measures to create educational and employment opportunities for women, particularly among the indigenous community, who are at risk of being trafficked or entering into or who are already engaged in prostitution and wish to leave it; (h) Fully decriminalize women engaged in prostitution and assess the impacts of the law on Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons, notably on the health and security of women in prostitution. Participation in political and public life 34. The Committee commends the State party on the appointment of a Cabinet of Ministers with gender parity. It also notes with appreciation the high number of women judges on the Canadian Supreme Court and other levels of the judiciary at the federal, provincial and territorial levels. However, it remains concerned about: 10

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