The Dean of Students Office and University of Miami student organization, It’s On Us, partnered with the Title IX office to bring Denim Day to the Division. Denim Day is the longest running sexual violence prevention and education campaign. It began in 1999 by the Nonprofit Organization, Peace Over Violence, in order to bring awareness to the harmful misconceptions regarding sexual violence.
The Denim Day campaign began after the Italian supreme court overturned a rape conviction because the justices decided that as the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped in removing the jeans, thus implying consent. This notion became known in Italy as the “Jeans Alibi.” The women of the Italian parliament launched a protest by wearing jeans on the steps of the supreme court in order to bring awareness to the myths surrounding sexual assault.
The dangerous ideology of blaming the victim for the sexual violence based off of what the victim is wearing was not left behind in 1990’s Italy. To this day, many cases are dismissed by courts as they use the victims' clothing as evidence of consent. Victims are afraid to speak up as they don’t want to be dismissed, they feel that their experience “doesn’t count,” or they just want to forget and move on. “Denim Day is important because it reaffirms the value that no one should experience sexual violence while doing our part to educate ourselves and others on this issue. It is a meaningful symbol of making a difference,” says Paris Razor, practicum student earning her M.S.Ed in Higher Education Administration.
Clothes do not create consent. It is important to create a safe environment in which victims feel supported and to bring awareness about the misconceptions surrounding sexual violence. In order to show support and help create this environment, the Division of Student Affairs wore denim and stood in solidarity at the U Statue to honor Denim Day, while It’s On Us tabled in the breezeway. Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center was also present as they provided students with valuable information and merchandise.
