When Transient Women Go Missing: Seeing Beyond the Stigma
A Hidden Crisis in Plain Sight
Every day, women living transient lifestyles walk the streets of our communities — in parking lots, behind grocery stores, and along back roads. They are mothers, daughters, friends, and survivors.
Too often, when one of them disappears, society looks the other way.
The assumption is usually that “she must have been arrested,” “she’s using again,” or “she’s moved on.” But the truth can be far more dangerous — and heartbreaking. Human trafficking and exploitation are on the rise across Ontario, and many of the women who vanish from our streets are never truly searched for.
The Numbers Tell a Disturbing Story
Between 2013 and 2023, there were more than 3,500 police-reported victims of human trafficking across Canada.
93% were women and girls
69% were under the age of 25
91% knew their trafficker, often a partner or acquaintance
Experts believe the real numbers are much higher. Victims living transiently or without a fixed address are frequently unaccounted for — unreported, unseen, and forgotten.
Assumptions That Cost Lives
When a transient woman disappears, her absence is often dismissed instead of investigated.
Social stigma — surrounding addiction, poverty, or mental health — allows dangerous assumptions to go unchecked. The line between “homeless” and “missing” becomes tragically blurred.
In that silence, traffickers and abusers find opportunity.
Human Trafficking Is Not a Distant Problem
Ontario remains the epicentre of human trafficking in Canada, with most cases occurring along major highways and in urban corridors.
Traffickers prey on isolation, poverty, trauma, and the desperate need for safety or belonging. They promise love, money, or shelter — and deliver exploitation, control, and fear.
Since 2019, the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline has identified over 2,000 survivors — but outreach agencies agree that thousands more are still hidden, often among the transient population.
How Rise & Thrive Is Taking Action
At Rise & Thrive Support Services, visibility saves lives.
Our Outreach and Advocacy Team is in the community every day — checking on individuals living without stable housing, offering supplies, and building trust.
To strengthen safety and awareness, Rise & Thrive has implemented a confidential Transient Outreach List:
Our outreach workers maintain a record of individuals they regularly connect with.
The list is monitored for longer-than-usual absences.
If someone hasn’t been seen, our team checks in with others in the community to see if anyone has had contact
If concern grows, we alert partners and begin outreach to locate or reconnect that person safely.
This approach empowers community members — including those living transiently — to become part of the safety network, ensuring no one goes unnoticed.
Breaking the Cycle of Disappearance
Through daily outreach, our team has learned that transient women want to be seen — not judged. They want safety, not pity. They want options, not ultimatums.
By remembering their names, following up, and noticing when someone goes missing, we affirm what society too often forgets: their lives matter.
When one person disappears from the streets, we don’t assume.
We act.
What You Can Do
Be aware. If someone you usually see in town hasn’t been around, mention it to outreach teams or local services.
Challenge stereotypes. Don’t assume a missing woman “chose that life.” Survival isn’t a choice when every door is closed.
Support outreach efforts. Donations, food cards, and volunteer hours make a real difference.
Learn the signs of trafficking. Control, isolation, fear, sudden changes — all can be red flags.
Our Commitment
At Rise & Thrive, we believe that everyone deserves to be safe, valued, and found. Whether someone sleeps in a shelter, under a bridge, or on a friend’s couch — they are our neighbours.
We will continue expanding our outreach list, training our staff, and partnering across Northumberland County to ensure every person is seen, supported, and protected.
Because every woman matters.
📧 intake@riseandthrivesupportservices.com
🌐 www.riseandthrivesupportservices.com.