In honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month people across Mississippi and the country are wearing denim Wednesday to protest against the misconceptions that surrounds sexual assault.
The campaign has been running for the past 18 years and was triggered after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction. The justices felt that since the victim’s jeans were too tight, she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent.
After the conviction was overturned, woman in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to show solidarity with the victim.
Alizibeth Eaves is a sexual assault nurse examiner and said that “this [sexual assault] is one of the most under reported crimes in our nation.” Eaves added that 1 out of 5 woman in the U.S. has been assaulted, yet many are afraid report it to authorities.
Sandy Middleton is the Executive Director for The Center for Violence Prevention in Mississippi and said that when a woman reports an assault, very rarely is it a fabrication.
“The victim receives so much negative feedback and so much blaming, that they don’t make these up,” said Middleton.
This year more than 10 million people are expected to participate in Denim Day. If you would like to register, click here.
