The team here at Dressember wants you to be educated and up-to-date so that you can be informed, making you the best advocate that you can be. So, here are some terms and their definitions that we think you should know!
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“E"* was born and raised in rural Central America. She had a happy childhood. But by the time she was 11, she and her two younger siblings were orphans.
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Are you a justice-seeking parents hoping to shop for your kiddos in an ethical manner? You’ve come to the right place! Ethical living is not limited to adults, and there are many brands that provide goods for all ages and are transparent about their production process.
Below are 10 ethical fashion brands for kids!
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There are times that we let things get in the way of our influence. There are times when we use excuses like, “I don’t have enough time,” or “I don’t know enough,” or “I’m not old enough.” These thoughts can get in the way of raising our voice when we see something unjust, but today we want to let you know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Whatever time you have to give, whatever knowledge you have, however old you are - you can be an advocate fighting against trafficking.
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Atlanta, GA’s illegal sex trade made $290 million per year at last report. In her TED Talk, “3 ways businesses can fight sex trafficking,” Nikki Clifton tells us that’s more than Atlanta's illegal gun and drug trades make combined.
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When you find a cause that strikes a chord in your heart and makes you want to fight for something, it’s normal to expect everyone around you to catch the same fire. However, this isn’t always the case. As much as we would love our passions to be universal and for all people to be enthusiastically fighting for the same thing, that’s not typically the reality. We might not all fight the same thing, but we can all still support each other in the many different movements against injustice. Even so, it’s easy to get frustrated when trying to share your passions when the response isn’t on par with your enthusiasm. So, here is a helpful guide on how to have conversations about injustice that are beneficial to you and everyone else.
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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.
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International Justice Mission (IJM) helped Kolkata’s anti-trafficking police rescue two victims at a private home, and arrest five criminals who were selling them for sex, including a notorious trafficker named Archana* we have been pursuing for years.
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In a world with a global economy where imports and exports are a daily occurrence, it is vital for us to be informed and aware of where our products originate. It can be easy to look at these labels once and then never look back. We are all guilty of not taking a few minutes to think deeply about where the clothes we wear every day come from.
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*Trigger Warning: The following is a true story of a survivor of abuse. Please consider this before reading further.
Ann Marie* lived with extended family during her early teenage years. At 13, she was brought by a relative to a compound that housed a religious cult
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Oftentimes, life gets to be a little busy for us and we find ourselves coasting and not really taking the chance to step back, take a breath and appreciate what is right in front of us. I know that this year, I was definitely guilty of that. However, after actually sitting down and doing a self-evaluation with myself, I realized that this year, I was truly blessed in ways that I never even knew.
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IJM is the world’s largest anti-slavery organization. Its goal is to end slavery worldwide with a three-pronged approach: rescuing slaves, working with authorities to convict human traffickers and making the slave trade unprofitable. Its work has led to freedom for over 45,000 survivors and arrest for over 3,500 criminals.
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Being a younger advocate, sometimes it can be hard to figure out ways to raise awareness and money. However, being on campus can have several advantages when it comes to advocating and fundraising.
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Love146 met Peggy* when she was 5-years-old. She came to a feeding center they set up in a street community of children at high risk for sexual exploitation and trafficking. She was malnourished and had so much fear in her eyes. She screamed at the sight of men. Her injuries and infections seemed to answer questions that she wasn’t ready to speak about, yet we also saw a bright spirit in her.
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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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80% of the hands making the clothes we wear every day are the hands of young women. The vast majority are between 18-24 years old, and these women go home with an average of $3 a day. This is, by definition, exploitation: “The action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.” We would not blink an eye at buying a shirt on sale for $13, much less $3, and yet for thousands of women, they are ill-treated and forced to live on amounts we cannot fathom.
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At times in her childhood, Maddie* experienced homelessness. Poverty and the lack of caring adults in her life made her vulnerable, and her sexual exploitation began at a young age. This included a sickening cyber-porn operation in which she was exploited in front of a webcam. Maddie came to Love146 at age 11, where she received trauma-informed counselling, individualized care, and was able to explore lots activities that interested her, including gardening, caring for farm animals, and sports.
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From the time I applied to go to Cambodia I began using the topic of human trafficking for just about everything. If I needed to write a paper - that was my topic. If I needed to do a report - it was focused on human trafficking. If I needed to give a presentation - you bet I was going to find a way to work human trafficking into it.
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Kolkata is described as a lively city, at the center of Indian culture with much to offer its citizens. Its central location, bordering other countries, and vast transit system keeps the busy metropolis moving. There is another world keeping pace with a demand, not for ease of access, or the enjoyment of India’s beautiful and rich culture, but for sex.
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Dressember’s key goal is to raise awareness and financial support for our grant partners who are working to end modern day slavery, but we are always striving to make an even larger impact around the world. One of the ways that we see this happening is through sustainable and ethical shopping.
We know that for a lot of people Dressember seems intimidating for the sole purpose of not feeling like we can have a big enough impact because of how little we perceive we can raise. If you’re looking for a fun, interactive way to raise money for Dressember that also incorporates sustainable and ethical practices then maybe it’s time you considered hosting a clothing swap!
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