Natasha Falle

Natasha Falle, a Canadian professor at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario, has a remarkable and harrowing story that shapes her advocacy against prostitution in Canada. Born in 1973, she grew up in a middle-class family, but her life took a dark turn following her parents' divorce. The instability of her new single-parent home led her to run away at the age of fifteen, ultimately becoming ensnared in the sex industry in Calgary, Alberta.

Falle's experience was marked by severe trauma; she was forcibly prostituted for over a decade, during which she was subjected to violence and manipulation by her pimp. This individual not only trafficked her across the country but also married her, inflicting physical harm that left her with broken bones and burns. To cope with the overwhelming trauma, Falle turned to cocaine, which nearly cost her life.

With the support of her mother, Falle managed to escape the cycle of prostitution and addiction. She underwent drug rehabilitation, completed high school, and earned a diploma in Wife Assault and Child Advocacy from George Brown College. In 2001, she began her journey of helping others by counseling women in prostitution at Streetlight Support Services, where she worked with over eight hundred women, most of whom expressed a desire to exit the sex industry.

Falle's commitment to advocacy led her to establish Sex Trade 101, aiming to raise awareness about the realities of prostitution. She collaborated with the Toronto Police Service's sex crimes unit to provide training and was instrumental in supporting legislative changes, including MP Joy Smith's Bill C-268, which aimed to strengthen laws against human trafficking. Her efforts continue to focus on promoting a legal framework in Canada that mirrors Sweden's Sex Purchase Act, emphasizing the need to decriminalize the selling of sex while criminalizing its purchase.