Denim Day

Wednesday, April 24th, 2024 is Denim Day and we invite you to wear denim with a purpose: to visibly protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence. 

What is Denim Day?

For over 20 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling of the Italian Supreme Court to overturn a rape conviction. 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.Why should I participate? Peace Over Violence developed the Denim Day campaign in response to this case and the activism surrounding it. Since then, wearing jeans on Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault. In this rape prevention education campaign, we ask community members, elected officials, businesses, and students to make a social statement with their fashion—wearing denim as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault. 

What else can I do in addition to wearing denim?

1. Recognize that sexual violence impacts all members of our campus community—regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or any other demographic.
2. Recognize that people neither ask for nor deserve to be victims of sexual violence—ever.
3. Collaborate with SHARE to arrange a virtual workshop for your class, department, or office.
4. Familiarize yourself with Stanford policies and resources to address sexual violence.
5. Consult with trained professional staff at SHARE and the Confidential Support Team to find out how you can support students and colleagues impacted by sexual violence.
6. Don’t blame survivors for the violence perpetrated against them & speak up when someone makes a comment that blames survivors.
7. Know the definition of affirmative consent and do not have sex without consent; know that silence does not equal consent.
8. Think critically about how the media depicts sexuality and relationships & challenge portrayals that perpetuate violence, oppression, and discrimination.
9. Teach your children, friends, parents and peers about the myths and realities of sexual assault.
10. Find out what your local K-12 school board’s policy is on sexual and relationship violence prevention education and get involved. If it is not proactive, change it.
11. Lobby your local, state and federal legislators for funding for anti-sexual assault programs
12. If you have been a victim of sexual or relationship violence, stalking, or sexual harassment, know there is help.