April 26, 2016
INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS WILL PARTICIPATE IN DENIM DAY TO RAISE AWARENESS DURING SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH
Boise, ID – Boise Mayor David Bieter has joined local and national officials in proclaiming April 27, 2016 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.
To participate in Denim Day, individuals commit to wearing denim or an “Ask Me About Denim Day” sticker on April 27, 2016. 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.
Wearing denim allows individuals to show solidarity to all survivors of sexual assault and encourages individuals to think about the ways in which one 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 4,447 calls for service to Ada County law enforcement agencies related to domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse in 2015.
Close to 60 locations throughout the valley have committed to participating in Denim Day, including the Boise School District, The Village at Meridian, Boise State University (BSU), College of Western Idaho (CWI) and the office of Boise City Mayor Dave Bieter. Special events include a free screening of The Hunting Ground documentary at 6 p.m. in the BSU Student Union Building and an open forum on sexual assault at the CWI Canyon County campus from 1-2 p.m. at the CWI NCAB 2nd Floor Atrium. See a complete list of participants here: http://www.wcaboise.org/denim-day-2016-participants/.
“We are encouraging everyone in our community to participate in Denim Day;” WCA Communications Manager Christine Campbell-Davis said. “Wear jeans, challenge rape culture, and help spread the message that there is no excuse and never an invitation for sexual assault.”
If you are interested in participating in Denim Day, contact [email protected] to request materials and information. You can also visit http://www.wcaboise.org/news-events/wca-event/denim-day/ to learn more about the history of Denim Day and to download a Denim Day toolkit.
Denim Day Events
Boise State University
Information table and Clothesline Project Display
BSU Quad
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The Hunting Ground Documentary Screening
Lookout Room, Boise State Student Union Building
6 p.m.
Chick-fil-A
10 percent of proceeds benefit the WCA
Information Table
8000 Franklin Rd., Boise
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 – 8 p.m.
College of Western Idaho
Information table and Clothesline Project Display
Ada and Canyon County Campuses
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
College of Western Idaho
Open Forum, Canyon County Campus
CWI NCAB 2nd Floor Atrium from
1 – 2 p.m.
Guru Doughnuts
100 percent net proceeds of donut sales benefit WCA
7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Village at Meridian
Information Table
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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 27, 2016
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Contact:
Women’s & Children’s Alliance
Chris Campbell-Davis
Communications Manager
[email protected]
O: 208.343.3688 ext. 0211 C: 208.249.9287
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