Dressember is an international movement fighting against human trafficking. Human trafficking is a crime high on the podium among the largest crime industries of the world. This advocacy consists of wearing a dress or a tie every day of December to showcase the movement, started in 2009, by founder, Blythe Hill.
Many of these human beings being trafficked increase drastically as time goes on. Not only losing their lives to this, the loss of loved ones, the mourning, worry, and fear that is faced is horrific and Dressember increases the awareness that is heavily needed in this global crisis. As crimes like these increase, the sentiment of the world can decrease, making many people less empathetic towards this cause and only seeing it as numbers rather than people. Dressember fights for justice and showing to the public that these are not just statistics and numbers, and that these are real people with lives and families.
“Dressember is such an important movement, human trafficking shouldn’t get any worse than it is now, being such a big problem and issue, and it’s a horrible crime,” member of the Champe Human Trafficking Awareness Club, Maddie Choi said.“ Human trafficking is a cause that needs more addressing and prevention.” Her point stands strong, expressing the horror that is human trafficking and how she believes that society, as a whole, is in need of awareness, advocating for this awareness, and help from authorities in power.
Children are trafficked everywhere at any age; when they are walking home from school, they can be trafficked, or in crowds like ones at an amusement park or a concert, and it can happen anywhere they go. Even if these innocent people are saved, they have to live the rest of their lives with this traumatic experience and carry those memories along with them. Human trafficking is never okay, no matter the age group or identity of a person, it is a terrible crime.
“Child trafficking is easy to find if you know where to look. For example, an exit off an interstate highway with a truck stop, an Asian massage parlor, and an adult superstore,” (Heritage.org). “Each of these locations separately is statistically more likely to be a location for trafficking, including the interstate itself. If they are grouped together, the statistical possibilities increase dramatically.”
Much of society is unknowing of the true extent that human trafficking has come to, nationally, and globally. Due to the lack of acknowledgement to the cause, the lives of people who live in these communities are easier to target. Communities that enforce human trafficking awareness and construct fundraisers or programs to give this crime more recognition are increasingly harder to target. Communities that advocate are more aware, helping to prevent this crime.
“I actually didn’t know what Dressember was until this December,” sophomore Suhana Rahman said. “I’m glad I know what it is now because the more awareness there is, the more prevention there will be, and I hope that Dressember’s impact grows each year.”
Dressember is not just an awareness movement, but a revolution, one with an enormous impact.
Movements are meant to change the world, and Dressember does just that. The organization raises money and awareness all at once, funding safeties as well as campaigns to prevent this tragedy that humanity has created. Through the Dressember website, individuals or groups can sign up to set up their own Dressember fundraiser or campaign. The profit is then contributed to resource programs that partner with Dressember and focus on the system of human trafficking while also aiding the victims. A number of schools in the country participate in a program for human trafficking of some sort, whether it is an organized community or a club, and John Champe has its very own. The group participates in Dressember each year, in hopes of attracting more students to participate and encourage the movement in the local community of Loudoun.
“Dressember equips the public to fight for the dignity of all people, leading to the protection and freedom of millions,” (Dressember.org), “Since 2013, over 280,000 people have raised $18MM USD toward this fight impacting tens of thousands of victims, survivors, and at-risk communities.”
