At Dressember, individuals choosing to commit to wearing dresses for the month of December whilst fundraising and spreading the word about trafficking are not just called participants. They’re called advocates. You might consider the difference between these terms subtle. In fact, when I first decided to join the movement, I used the words interchangeably. After all, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a participant as, “one who takes part or shares in something.” Was that not exactly what I would be doing by donning dresses and campaigning? Over time, as I became more familiar with the vision and heart of Dressember, I have come to understand the significance of the choice of word advocacy. Today, we’ll unpack what it means to be an advocate in the anti-trafficking movement through Dressember.

DressemberNovember 26, 2018faq, jessica debanne, dressember, human trafficking, modern day slavery, Advocate Resources

Dressember FAQ: "Isn't it the government's responsibility to do something about this?"

Here at Dressember we spend much of our time and resources advocating for trafficking victims at home and abroad. A question we often receive is, “Isn't it the responsibility of the government to address social issues like human trafficking?” It’s a sensible question—after all, if governments are not protecting their citizens, who will? Indeed, as of 2018, human trafficking is illegal in all 50 United States, (beginning with Washington in 2003), and is recognized as a global crime. There are a variety of state, federal and global laws and acts in place to prosecute traffickers and protect victims.

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