2022 Dressember
2022 marked my 9th year participating in Dressember, with so much time in dresses in December I had fewer days of the "I don't wanna". I know which dresses I can reach for when I need to layer up. Which dresses give me the most range of motion for days when I am busy on my feet and which dresses I can wear albiet stylishly from my comfy chair from which I crochet all the live long day.
The mission of Dressember remains the same to advocate, work to prevent trafficking, intervene, and empower survivors. Dressember mobilizes the public to learn, stir public interest, and demand change by providing reliable data for ongoing learning, followed by action steps and campaigns to stir change and raise vital funding. When we collectively advocate, we put pressure on the current system to dismantle injustice.
Our prevention work is focused on addressing the root causes of trafficking to prevent people from becoming victims in the first place. We look upstream to address factors and systems that make certain groups more vulnerable to trafficking.
Our intervention work involves working with local organizers to remove child victims of trafficking from situations, as well as providing support and exit pathways for trafficked adults. Our local Network leaders lead these initiatives through culturally sensitive and appropriate methods.
Dressember empowers survivors’ sustained liberation through capacity-building initiatives to build long-term stability. Resources include holistic aftercare, job skills training and placement, therapy, education, basic needs support, and more to ensure survivors’ are empowered to make their own choices.
Dressember 2022 even while grocery shopping
Dress from Mata Traders
Denim Jacket old from my daad
Sneakers from Adidas
I participate in Dressember year after year because I believe in the inherent dignity of all people and worthy of respect and autonomy, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Dressember offers me time to get creative with my wardrobe for a very dark and serious subject in a fun light way that makes it approachable. I recognize that I cannot fix the problems in the world that led to this abusive lucrative industry, but I can use my voice & my wardrobe to shine a light in those dark places and reveal them and sustainable approaches to reducing human trafficking, intervening, and to empower who have been trafficked.
Dressember is more than some silly little style challenge paired with a fundraiser, in 2021, Dressember raised over 2.3 million dollars in 2021. And almost 16 million since 2013. You can make a difference & most importantly, you can do anything in a dress.
When you support Dressember, you help empower survivors through job and skills training, leading to career development and opportunities.
