Denim Day Art Event Held to Raise Awareness for Sexual Assault and Child Abuse

By Jennifer Cadotte LCO PR Specialist

In recognition of April as Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Awareness Month, Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Child Welfare and Oakwood Haven joined forces to host a community event on April 9, 2025. The event aimed to foster awareness and show support for survivors through a creative and meaningful art project tied to Denim Day.

Community members were invited to decorate denim jeans in a collaborative art initiative, highlighting messages of solidarity, hope, and resistance to victim-blaming.

Denim Day, a campaign by Peace Over Violence, began in 1999 and is the longest-running sexual violence prevention and education campaign in history. The movement originated in response to a 1992 Italian Supreme Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped the person who raped her remove them, thereby implying consent. In protest, women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans, sparking a worldwide movement against sexual violence and harmful misconceptions.

Denim Day 2025 will take place on Wednesday, April 30. On this day, people are encouraged to wear denim to send a visible message of protest against the destructive myths and attitudes surrounding sexual assault.

To learn more about Denim Day visit: www.denimday.org/why-denim/

For more information about local efforts, contact:

LCO Indian Child Welfare at (715) 634-8934 or Oakwood Haven at (715) 598-8385.