Why a Dress?
I decided to swear off pants for a
whole month. May not seem like a big deal, but it’s more than just choosing to
wear a dress every day of December. It’s about choosing to make a statement
every day of December. I didn’t realize how little time it took me to choose an
outfit in the morning till I realized the choice wasn’t as simple. I’ll admit,
there were mornings it wasn’t the easiest
to wear or choose a dress. (8 am finals being one, or waking ten minutes
before my class, or maybe when it’s freezing cold outside and you have to walk
across campus just to get to class). But I still made the choice to make a
statement. What I realized through this is that many women every day do not get
the same choice. Not only on what they wear, but what they do each day, who they
see, where they go, etc. Their days are not their own but decisions are made by
someone who owns them. Someone who
has violated their personal freedom physically, mentally, emotionally, or maybe
a combination of the three. This reality made me even more awake to the
injustice of human trafficking and reminded me why I’m wearing a dress.
I
got asked a lot what Dressember is or why I had decided to wear only dresses
for 31 days. (And I’ll admit, sometimes I wasn’t asked, I just got complimented
on my dress and then I got so passionate I just launched into explaining
Dressember to an innocent passerby!) Let me take a minute to explain what the
heck it is and why it’s so important to me.
In
2005, the founder and CEO of Dressember began hearing about sex trafficking and
was deeply affected by the injustice, but felt helpless to make a difference.
She was sexually abused as a young girl and has suffered from the emotional
trauma, guilt, and shame since then and was heartbroken for the millions of
others in bondage to the same trauma she suffered.
“In 2009, Blythe challenged herself to wear
a dress every day of December (hence: Dressember). The next year, a few
friends joined in. By the third year, her friends' friends began to
participate, and it occurred to Blythe that there was more to this challenge
than she originally thought. By 2013, the movement blossomed into something completely
unexpected - an international campaign to aid the fight against sex
trafficking.” (Dressember.org/whyadress)
Since
then, every year in December, advocates of all ages make a statement with a
dress or bow tie every day. What does this do you may ask? Exactly that! Raises
questions and promotes global awareness of modern day slavery. It’s a
conversation piece that educates our community. The initiative has raised
millions of dollars through Dressember advocates and their commitment to
fighting injustice with a dress.
Why
is this so important to me and countless others? Let me share a few facts and
statistics regarding human trafficking in our world today.
- Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90.
- Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which
comes in many forms, including: forcing victims into prostitution,
subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude and compelling
victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography.
- According to some estimates, approximately 80% of
trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor
exploitation.
- There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in
the world today.
- According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to
800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of
which 80% are female and half are children.
- The average age a teen enters the
sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14-year-old. Many victims are runaway girls
who were sexually abused as children.
- California harbors 3 of the FBI’s
13 highest child sex trafficking areas on the nation: Los Angeles, San
Francisco and San Diego.
- The National Human Trafficking
Hotline receives more calls from Texas than any other state in the US. 15%
of those calls are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- Human trafficking is the third
largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms
trafficking). It reportedly generates a profit of $32 billion every year.
Of that number, $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries.
- The International Labour
Organization estimates that women and girls represent the largest share of
forced labor victims with 11.4 million trafficked victims (55%) compared
to 9.5 million (45%) men.
Now
you may be asking, “What can I do?”
If so, I have a couple suggestions. First of all,
raise awareness. Any time of year
can be a time to have a conversation about slavery. Wearing a dress or bowtie
in December is a simple way to make it into a conversation topic. But raising
awareness is definitely the first step.
Second,
consider taking a minute to give monetarily to the effort of raising global
awareness and eradicating slavery
and the sex trafficking trade. I’ll attach my campaign to this post or use the
link on my Facebook page. Any amount helps. The money raised goes toward the
urgent needs of a labor or sex trafficking survivor (therapy, food, medical
care, etc.), aftercare would include counseling for a survivor who has
undergone years of drama which may take years of mental as well as physical
care before they can experience wholeness, or a rescue operation conducted by
law enforcement who investigate a case and then go in and rescue victims.
Thirdly,
supporting those who have survived and are attempting to make their way.
Many programs are out there that
allow women and children to make their way after being rescued. In building
their lives again, they often struggle to find work and make a living. The Starfish Project sells jewelry
handcrafted by women who are regaining dignity and self-worth after years in
the sex industry.
Check out their website and gift
shop to buy some beautiful pieces made for a purpose.
A 21 is another
organization committed to abolishing slavery everywhere. You can commit to
giving monthly or make a purchase that benefits the aftercare of a survivor.
For
my readers in Arkansas, PATH (Partners Against Trafficking Humans) is a
missions based organization that “advocates for those victimized by the sex-industry
by providing a safe environment where healing can occur, making success
possible and dreams achievable.” They integrate faith, learning, and healing
into the aftercare of victims. Go to their website to give or purchase a prayer
bracelet made by women and children who have been rescued.
Finally,
commit to prayer for those enslaved. What a time to remember those in captivity
as we celebrate and remember the sacrifice Christ made in humbling himself and
taking on flesh to bring us out of captivity! In his death, He not only
defeated death and crushed Satan’s head, he delivered us from the bondage of
sin and allowed for all who call upon His name to have eternal life! We no
longer walk in darkness though the darkness surrounds us because of His
glorious light he sent into the world IN US through His Holy Spirit. In
remembering those in bondage we praise Him for the deliverance coming and also
pray for their deliverance from the physical bondage of slavery. There is power
in our prayers.
I’ll
close with a quote I’ve read outside the door of a professor’s office. “You’ll
never look into the face of someone God doesn’t unconditionally love.” He deeply loves every man, woman, and child and even their offenders. And He has called His people to be His hands and feet to a world in darkness.
Thank
you for taking the time to read this post all the way through. God bless you
and have a Merry Christmas!
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