What is Dressember?

I’m glad you asked. Dressember is about freedom and dignity for all women–really, for all people. It uses fashion as a way to advocate for women who have been exploited for their femininity. For the 31 days of December, Dressember participants commit to wearing a dress every day to raise awareness of human trafficking and raise funds for organizations like International Justice Mission (IJM) and A21 that work to liberate women, rehabilitate them, and fix broken justice systems for a permanent end to human trafficking.

Did you know that slaves today are cheaper than at any other time in history?  The population explosion has created a great supply of workers, and globalization has created people who are vulnerable and easily enslaved (Skinner, E. Benjamin. 2008. A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery).  Studies estimate that there are an estimated 35.9 million people held in slavery today. About 50% of those people are children, and about 70% of those people are women.

This is why Dressember participants wear dresses for 31 days in what is in many places the coldest month of the year: Because we believe in the inherent dignity of all human life, and we believe in everyday advocacy, the power of individuals working together doing small things to bring about big change.

For the rest of December, I’ll be sharing my pictures from the month.  This is a form of accountability for me, and also a way of raising awareness.  Things can’t change unless people know about the problem.

Without further ado, here are my pictures from the first seven days of Dressember:

If you would like to support IJM and A21 in their work to end slavery, here’s the link to my campaign page and here’s the link to C.J. and my team page.   (Also, as of today Dressember has raised over $301K in its fight for justice and freedom!! :D )