Every Friday is Denim Day this Sexual Assault Awareness Month
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and every Friday is Denim Day. If you want to help raise awareness this month, the Women’s Center is providing some ways for you to get involved.
“Some of the ways that you can support and raise awareness during the month of April is wear teal,” Jennine Frazier, the Executive Director at the Women’s Center. “That is the color of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and you’ll see the ribbons around our community. On Fridays there’s Denim Day and you can wear denim on Friday. And if you take a look at our Facebook page and also our Instagram page, we have all kinds of social media posts about awareness and what survivorship means.”
Although you might’ve missed this Friday’s Denim day, you still have two more chances.
Denim day began in Italy in 1992 when an 18 year old girl was raped by a 45 year old driving instructor. She reported the rape and he was convicted and sentenced to jail.
During his sentence years later he appealed the conviction claiming they had consensual sex. The Italian Supreme Court overturned his conviction and released the man from jail. The court claimed that since she was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped remove them, which would have meant it was consensual. This became known as the “jeans alibi” throughout Italy.
The women in the Italian Parliament were enraged by the ruling and decided to protest on the steps of the Supreme Court. After gaining international media attraction, many women were inspired to do the same.
The first Denim Day was held in April of 1999 when the Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, Patti Occhiuzzo Giggans, decided to raise awareness on the myths about why women and girls are raped.
The official Denim Day in 2024 will be held on Wednesday April 24, however the Women’s Center will be participating every Friday throughout the month of April.
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