Disclaimer: This article does mention sexual assault, and may be triggering to some readers.
April 24 will mark the 25th anniversary of Denim Day, which occurs on the last Wednesday in April every year. Despite its establishment in 1999, many people still don’t know what Denim Day is, what it stands for or why it is important to so many people. Even more people don’t know why they wear denim or how they can further support the cause. Here is what you need to know about Denim Day, its importance and how you can continue to support victims of sexual assault worldwide.
Denim Day was created as a direct response to an Italian Supreme Court ruling that claimed a woman was liable for her sexual assault because her jeans were too tight. The judge believed that the tightness of the jeans meant that the girl must have helped her assailant get the jeans off, therefore implying her consent.
As ridiculous as this sounds, victims of sexual assault face this kind of ridicule and scrutiny every day from strangers, peers and the government. Many communities demean and defame women who are sexually assaulted in order to protect the reputations of young men. They may do this by criticizing what the woman is wearing or what she was drinking or who she was with or any other minute detail that they can get their hands on. They may also do this in their homes, schools and even in their courts. It is so engrained into the fabric of many cultures that many women will never talk about their sexual assault for fear of ostracization and isolation. How does one fight against the norms of cultures across the world?
The women of the Italian Parliament fought against the norms by wearing jeans to work the next day in solidarity with the victim and in direct opposition to the judge’s ruling. This sparked a movement where tens of thousands of people across the world now wear denim to bring awareness about the misconceptions surrounding sexual assault. One action has turned into a movement that spans over two decades and has no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Wearing jeans on Denim Day is more than a symbolic act. It is a visible symbol of support to your loved ones, friends and even complete strangers who have been affected by sexual assault that you see and that you care about their voice and their story. It gives people hope for changing the stigma and bringing in a new tomorrow where a person’s credibility and dignity isn’t determined by the pair of jeans they wore that day.
Want to take your support for Denim Day a step further? You can donate to the Denim Day campaign on the Denim Day Website by buying their merchandise, taking the pledge, making a donation or by becoming a sponsor. This money goes to the resources dedicated to supporting survivors and educating loved ones on how to support survivors on the page. You can also donate to local resources, like women’s shelters focused on victims of domestic violence or advocacy networks. Finally, you can share what Denim Day is and the misconceptions around sexual assault with your friends and family to continue fostering ongoing discussion and dialogue.Â