April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The month of April has been designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States. In honor of the victims and survivors of sexual assault, The Colorado River Regional Crisis Shelter presents the Annual Denim Day USA 2012, a campaign to raise awareness and educate the public about rape and sexual assault. With support from the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ Victim Advocacy Program together they want to spread the word and educate our community on the importance of this issue.

In 1998, an Italian Supreme Court decision overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore jeans, reasoning she must have helped her attacker remove them. People all over the world were outraged. Wearing jeans became an international symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual assault. The aim of the day is to encourage people to unite against the sexual assault of girls, women, boys and men, standing in support of survivors and breaking the silence to end sexual violence.

On Denim Day, the Crisis Shelter asks locals to wear their jeans as a visible sign of protest against the myths that still surround sexual assault: “We are asking employers to allow their staff to break the dress code and the silence by wearing jeans on Denim Day, Wednesday April 25th.”

For further information contact: The Colorado River Regional Crisis Shelter (928) 669-8527 or (928) 669-8620.