YWCA promoting Denim Day, April 27

VW independent staff and submitted information

In conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, the YWCA of Van Wert County recently visited three area high schools to meet with student council members and student ambassadors about International Denim Day, slated for April 27.

Jamie Evans, Director of Survivor Services, and Julie Schaufelberger, Outreach Coordinator, visited Crestview, Lincolnview, and Vantage Career Center to present information to the students about YWCA services, consent and the history of Denim Day. Students from all three schools will be making works of art out of jeans to display at the YWCA on Denim Day. These pieces of art will include messages of awareness, consent, and survivor support.

“This is the second year we have collaborated with local schools for students to create denim artwork,” Evans said. “Many of these kids will go to college and one in four women and one in six men will be sexually assaulted while attending college. Through a collaboration like this, we can bring awareness to our services and discuss consent and prevention with students.”

Vantage intends to display the denim artworks within the school while jeans from other schools will be displayed on the front porch of the YWCA.

“Last year when we participated in this, it created great discussions between students about healthy relationships, firm boundaries and consent,” said Miriam Owens, Community Relations Coordinator for Vantage Career Center. “We appreciate our partnership with the YWCA and the resources they have to bring sexual assault prevention and awareness to our students in a unique and engaging way through the Denim Day Project”.

Denim Day was founded in the late 90’s in Italy when the court overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. The judge stated that because the jeans were tight, she must have helped her attacker remove them, thereby implying consent.

That attitude surrounding sexual assault motivated female parliament members to wear denim in support of the victim and the movement has spread across the United States. The full history of Denim Day can be found here: https://www.denimdayinfo.org/why-denim.

“The YWCA works every day to help survivors of sexual assault by providing services and advocacy and we work to dispel myths about rape and rape culture,” Evans said. “Denim Day is just one way we are doing that. The partnerships with the schools are vital to increasing prevention efforts as well as increasing community’s knowledge about how to attain our services.”

The YWCA invites individuals, businesses and organizations to wear jeans on April 27, this year’s official Denim Day. Stickers are available from the YWCA for individuals to wear explaining why they are wearing denim and may be obtained by contacting Schaufelberger at julies@ywcavanwertcounty.org.

Anyone in need of services may contact the YWCA 24/7 hotline number at 567.259.9501 or visit the website for more information, ywcavanwert.org.

The YWCA is an agency of the United Way of Van Wert County.