The Guess Foundation is expanding its efforts to grow awareness of violence against women to Europe by bringing Denim Day to Italy this summer.
The program, which got its start in the U.S. in 1998, calls on elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault by wearing jeans on the designated Denim Day each year.
Denim Day in the U.S. will take place on April 29, 2015. The date for Denim Day in Italy has not been announced.
The awareness campaing was conceived in partnership with Peace Over Violence, a sexual and domestic violence prevention center based in Los Angeles, after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices agreed that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she had to have helped her rapist remove her jeans. The following day, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work in solidarity with the victim.
Since launching in the U.S., Denim Day has become a symbol of protest against misconceptions about sexual assault. In addition to wearing jeans, businesses and individuals can get involved by downloading a Denim Day tool kit on Guess.com, complete with posters, flyers, power point presentations and a comprehensive guide on sexual violence prevention activism ideas. Participants can also collect donations, or become a Denim Day sponsor.
