The Center for Behavioral Health and Accessibility (CBHA) invites Southeast faculty, staff and students to participate in Denim Day on April 27 as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
As the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history, Denim Day encourages individuals to wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence.
This year’s campus event will take place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on the Kent Library Portico.
Activities will include:
- Denim Squares for decorating.
- Wreaths to place pins on to represent individuals who have been sexually assaulted.
- Instagram cutout to take photos with and spread awareness of SAAM with #DenimDay2022.
- Self-affirmation stickers with messages such as, “Life begins where fear ends, choose kindness” and “Just breathe, It’s okay not to be okay.”
- Coloring sheets designed to encourage and empower with messages such as “Believe and Support Survivors, your voice has power,” “I Ask for Consent” and “Yes Means Yes.”
CBHA has also partnered with the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence (SEMO-NASV), the Safe House of Southeast Missouri and Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau to provide additional activities and information in the University Center.
Denim Day was established in response to an Italian Supreme Court Ruling. In 1997 in Rome, an 18-year-old woman was raped on the side of the road by her 45-year-old driving instructor, who was later convicted and sent to prison. The perpetrator appealed the sentence and his case was heard before the Italian Supreme Court and overturned. The head judge stated that because the victim wore tight jeans, he assumed she must have helped remove them, implying consent. Enraged by the decision, the women in the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans on the steps to the Parliament building.