We are helping shape laws that protect children
On April 15th 2026, Daughter Project Canada was invited to provide testimony to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to Bill C-16.
This invitation was a meaningful opportunity to bring our perspective directly into the legislative process. We also submitted a written brief outlining our recommendations, informed by our prevention-focused, survivor-centred work.
Our advocacy emphasized the importance of addressing harm before it becomes violence, and designing laws that reflect the lived realities of those most impacted. Participating in this process allowed us to amplify community voices and contribute to shaping a justice response that prioritizes safety, dignity, and prevention.
What is Bill C-16?Bill C-16, also known as the Protecting Victims Act, is a federal bill currently being studied by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. It proposes changes to Canada’s criminal and correctional laws with a focus on child protection, gender-based and intimate partner violence, victims’ rights, and reducing court delays. The bill is intended to help the justice system respond earlier to risk, intervene before violence escalates, and work more effectively for victims and survivors.
Why Bill C-16 mattersGender-based and intimate partner violence affects individuals, families, and entire communities.
Bill C-16 recognizes that harm does not begin with a single incident — it often develops over time through patterns of control, coercion, and escalating risk. By strengthening criminal law responses and improving how the justice system functions, the bill aims to reduce harm, increase accountability, and lessen the burden placed on victims who must navigate long and complex legal processes.
Why this advocacy is importantLaws shape how communities understand safety, responsibility, and care.
Engaging in the Bill C-16 process matters because it helps ensure that legislation reflects real-world experiences and long-term solutions; not just short-term fixes.
When advocacy organizations are included in lawmaking, policies are more likely to protect children, support families, and contribute to healthier, safer communities.
“If Parliament recognizes new harms, it must also invest in stopping those harms before a child becomes a victim. Prevention reduces victimization upstream of the judicial system.”
Kristin Szabo
Advocacy Lead - Daughter Project Canada
What We Asked Parliament To Do
Centre harm reduction over technical thresholds, so legal protections are based on real-world impact rather than perceived realism of an image or act.
Recognize online child sexual exploitation as a shared responsibility, including clear obligations for platforms and service providers — not only criminal penalties after harm.
Commit to mandatory, national prevention and education measures to address online exploitation, grooming, coercive control, and technology-based prevention, accountability, and policy reform.
Require national data collection and public reporting to support evidence-based prevention, accountability, and policy reform.
Daughter Project Canada’s recommendations are grounded in a harm-reduction and prevention-first framework.
While Bill C-16 strengthens criminal responses to exploitation and violence, our brief emphasizes that criminal law alone cannot be protective unless it is paired with upstream prevention, shared accountability, and systemic supports.
Together, these recommendations reflect Daughter Project’s core mandate of awareness, prevention, and advocacy, and our position that meaningful protection for children and youth must begin before harm escalates into lifelong trauma.
We are committed to continuing this work and to advocating for policies that put prevention, compassion, and community well-being at the centre of Canada’s response to violence.