For Immediate Release
April 24, 2018
MAYOR BIETER PROCLAIMS DENIM DAY FOR CITY OF BOISE
Boise participates in a day-long awareness campaign that honors survivors of sexual assault and starts conversations about the dangers of victim blaming 
Boise, ID – Boise Mayor David Bieter has joined local and national officials in proclaiming April 25, 2018 Denim Day in the City of Boise. The Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) is partnering with other local organizations and supporters to bring awareness to sexual assault and the dangers of victim blaming in our community through participation in Denim Day.
Denim is worn in reference to an Italian sexual assault case from 1992 in which a rape conviction was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court Justices who felt that because the 18-year-old victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. In order to participate in Denim Day, individuals commit to wearing denim or an “Ask Me About Denim Day” sticker on April 25, 2018.
Wearing denim allows individuals to show solidarity to all survivors of sexual assault and encourages individuals to think about the ways in which they can work in their personal and professional lives to reduce violence in our communities.
According to a recent study by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted. Locally, there were 5,242 calls for service to Ada County law enforcement agencies related to domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse in 2017.
“Some may think that because more individuals are talking about sexual assaults and coming forward to share their stories as part of the #METOO movement that we will soon be able to leave this topic behind,” said Bea Black, Executive Director of the Women’s and Children’s Alliance. “I believe there is a lot of work that needs to be done to create environments that are truly safe for all victims to come forward and disclose when they are the subject of sexual assault and harassment.“
In addition to the City of Boise, organizations throughout the valley are participating in Denim Day this year, including the Boise School District, the Idaho National Guard, St. Luke’s, student groups at Boise State University (BSU) and College of Western Idaho (CWI) and many local businesses.
Photo Caption: Boise Mayor David Bieters signs the 2018 Denim Day proclamation while WCA Staff members look on. Photo Credit: WCA
About the WCA
The Women’s & Children’s Alliance provides safety, healing and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault. The WCA operates secure shelters and provides professional counseling, legal advocacy, crisis services and case management to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. For more information, visit www.wcaboise.org.
About Denim Day
The Denim Day campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against destructive attitudes about sexual assault. In this campaign we ask community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement with their fashion by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault. This year’s Denim Day will be held on April 25, 2018.
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