“Make a social statement with your fashion statement”
1 in 4 college women is sexually assaulted or raped before they graduate.
1 in 6 college men is sexually assaulted or raped before they graduate.
What is Denim Day?
Denim Day is a campaign held on a Wednesday in April in honour of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The campaign began over 20 years ago in response to an overturned rape conviction. In 1999, the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because they believed that her jeans were “too tight” for her rapist to take off without her help, which in their minds was considered consent. The next day, the women of the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work to stand in solidarity with the victim and protest the overturned conviction. Peace Over Violence developed this campaign in support of the activism and response from this court case. Denim Day has since become a day to make a stand against sexual violence and protest the misconceptions of sexual assault by wearing your favourite denim. This year Denim Day is celebrating its 20th anniversary on April 24!
Why is Denim Day important to me?
April 25, 2016
I was 16 years old and on a school trip with a club at my high school. All my friends and I were having a great time, and we had little to no hiccups on the trip so far. I felt like being adventurous, like doing something that I know I shouldn’t. I’ve regretted making this decision every day for the past three years. I met a boy on a Walmart version of Tinder called Hot or Not, his name was John and he was in town for the same reason I was. We messaged a bit and talked about meeting up to hang out. I suggested we meet at a hotel pool, the lobby or in downtown Nashville, he insisted on meeting in my hotel room. I caved in because I was a naive teenager and didn’t think anything would happen. I was very, very wrong. The boy, John, raped me in my hotel room in the middle of the day while I was wearing a modest dress. The effects of this day have haunted me for the past three years. Last year on April 25 was when I found out about Denim Day. As a sexual assault victim and survivor, this campaign is a way to take a stand against sexual violence in a hope that one day the women and men in my life will never have to go through what I did when I was 16.
Show your support and make a statement.
All images courtesy of Google Images