1.0 Socio-demographic characteristics
This section examines the socio-demographic characteristics of the people in the MAPI dataset, such as their gender identity, racial and ethnic identity, age, marital status and presence of children. These characteristics are not mutually exclusive. For many clients there are multiple intersections between socio-demographic characteristics.
1.1 Gender identity
In the MAPI dataset, based on over 2,289 people, 94% identified as female and 3% as male. About 2% of clients identified4 as gender diverse, that is, transgender women (1%), transgender men and Two-Spirit people.5 It was noted in the interviews with the representatives of MAPI organizations that there is an underreporting of gender diverse people in the sex trade in general.
Chart 1.1
Proportion of MAPI clients by gender identity, Canada, 2015-16 to 2019-20
Text version
This is a vertical bar graph with four categories representing gender identity groups. The text on the side of the graph indicates that the data are presented as percentages and the total number of people in the study is 2,289.
The first category is for people who identify as female. The bar is dark blue and indicates 94.1%.
The second category is for people who identify as male. The bar is dark blue and indicates 2.9%.
The third category is for people who identify as gender diverse. The bar is dark blue and indicates 1.8%.
The fourth category is for people whose gender identity is unknown. The bar is dark blue and indicates 1.0%.
Notes:
- Gender diverse refers to three categories in the MAPI dataset that were not publishable on their own due to small sample sizes and suppression rules. The three categories consist of transgender women, transgender men, and Two-Spirit people.
- The "Unknown" category consists of responses of "Unknown" or "Not stated" (blanks).
Source: Justice Canada, Measures to Address Prostitution Initiative (MAPI), 2015-16 to 2019-20.
1.2 Indigenous identity
In the MAPI dataset, 16% of clients identified as Indigenous (Table 1.1). Of those, 97% were Indigenous women and girls6 (data not shown). Data for people of other racial and ethnic groups were not collected.
Table 1.1
Proportion of MAPI clients by Indigenous identity, Canada, 2015-16 to 2019-20
| Indigenous identity | Percentage N = 2,289 |
|---|---|
Indigenous peoples |
15.7 |
Indigenous identity not stated |
71.3 |
Unknown |
12.8 |
Total |
100.0 |
Notes:
- Indigenous peoples refers to people who identified as Indigenous. No distinction is available as to whether they are First Nations people (Status or non-Status), Métis or Inuk (Inuit) in the MAPI data.
- The "Unknown" category consists of responses of "Unknown" or "Not stated" (blanks).
Source: Justice Canada, Measures to Address Prostitution Initiative (MAPI), 2015-16 to 2019-20.
1.3 Age groups
In the MAPI client data, most clients were either 20 to 24 years old (24%) or 25 to 29 years old (21%) (Table 1.2). About 1% were younger than 15 years old and 12% were between 15 and 19 years, which compares to older age groups such as 9% among 35 to 39 years and 13% for clients aged 40 years and older.
Table 1.2
Proportion of MAPI clients by age group, Canada, 2015-16 to 2019-20
| Age groups | Percentage N = 2,289 |
|---|---|
|
Under 15 years |
0.7 |
|
15 to 19 years |
12.4 |
|
20 to 24 years |
23.9 |
|
25 to 29 years |
20.5 |
|
30 to 34 years |
13.1 |
|
35 to 39 years |
9.1 |
|
40 years and older |
13.4 |
|
Unknown |
6.6 |
|
Total |
100.0 |
Note: The "Unknown" category consists of responses of "Unknown" or "Not stated" (blanks).
Source: Justice Canada, Measures to Address Prostitution Initiative (MAPI), 2015-16 to 2019-20.
1.4 Family status
The majority of MAPI clients were single (79%) as opposed to married (5%)7 (Table 1.3). About 40% of clients had children (data not shown), of which about half had their children removed from their care, mostly by child welfare services, and the other half had their children in their care. Over 40% of clients did not have children.
Table 1.3
Proportion of MAPI clients by marital status and presence of children, Canada, 2015-16 to 2019-20
| Marital status | Percentage N = 2,289 |
|---|---|
Single |
78.7 |
Married |
4.7 |
Unknown |
16.4 |
Total |
100.0 |
Presence of children |
|
Have children in their care |
19.2 |
Have children but not in clients’ care |
21.1 |
Pregnant |
0.5 |
No children |
42.5 |
Unknown |
16.5 |
Total |
100.0 |
Notes:
- The category "Pregnant" refers to clients who were pregnant at the time the MAPI program ended.
- The "Unknown" category consists of responses of "Unknown" or "Not stated" (blanks).
Footnotes
4 Please note that gender identity is based on self-reporting by clients either on intake forms themselves or to program staff. Also, the reporting of gender identity is affected by the client’s relationship with the organization, and the representation of certain characteristics in the population for that area. For example, some MAPI organizations had a higher proportion of Two Spirit people than others.
5 Counts for transgender men and Two-Spirit people were too small to be published on their own.
6 Counts for Indigenous peoples who identify as transgender or Two-Spirit were too small to be published even when grouped together as gender diverse.
7 Data were not collected on common-law relationships.
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