Denim Day: Wear jeans with a purpose!

Wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate yourself and others about sexual assault.

Celebrated every year on the last Wednesday of April, Denim Day started as a campaign against sexual assault apologists. In the summer of 1998 in Italy, an 18-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by her 45-year-old driving instructor. The perpetrator was released one year later after the court overturned his sentence because the girl was wearing tight jeans that could have only been removed with her help. The next day, Italian women showed up in jeans to their workplaces to protest the absurdity of the overturned sentence.

Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault. In this sexual violence prevention education campaign, we ask our community members to wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence.

In support of Denim Day, the Consent Belongs Here Outreach Team will collect denim donations to support local violence against women organizations. Donation boxes will be located in Student Development & Services (B210) and at the NUSU Student Centre.

Donations can include:

• New and used denim wear
• full-sized bottles of body wash, shampoo, conditioner
• brushes/combs
• baby wash
• women’s self-care items (journals, nail care, face masks, etc).