Wear jeans with a purpose! Support survivors and increase awareness of sexual assault. Share your photos using #DenimDay2024 & #SAAM2024.

THE STORY BEHIND DENIM DAY:
In Rome in 1992, a 45-year-old driving instructor was accused of rape. When he picked up an 18-year-old girl for her first driving lesson, he allegedly raped her and told her that he would kill her if she told anyone. Later that night, she told her parents and pressed charges.

While the alleged rapist was convicted and sentenced, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1998 because the victim wore tight jeans.

It was argued that she must have had to help her attacker remove her jeans, thus making the act consensual. The Italian Supreme Court stated in its decision: “it is a fact of common experience that it is nearly impossible to slip off tight jeans, even partly, without the active collaboration of the person who is wearing them.”

This ruling sparked widespread protest. The day after the decision, women in the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans and holding placards that read “Jeans: An Alibi for Rape.”

Denim Day has been internationally celebrated since 1999.