According to the International Labor Organization, more than 40 million people around the world are victims of human trafficking. Almost 29 million of them are women and girls. One in four victims is a child.
When Blythe Hill heard about this she knew she had to do something to help. It started off simple: in 2009, Hill decided that she would try to wear a dress every day of December to raise awareness and money for the issue. The next year, her friends joined in to help spread the word.
With that came the birth of Dressember, an international movement to fight human trafficking. For every day in the month of December, participants commit to wearing a dress or tie every day. The goal is to open up a fundraising page and reach your monetary goal, all while bringing attention to one of the most pressing modern global issues. Since 2013, the organization has raised over $10 million.
While the month has already started, it’s not too late to join! All you have to do is:
- Set up a fundraising page at https://dressember2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/signup
- Challenge yourself to wear a dress every day for the rest of the month
- Post to your socials to get donations and gather more people to join the movement
This year, you can also shop at the Dressember Marketplace. The marketplace features designs by ethical brands and a portion of each purchase will go directly toward the Dressember Campaign.
To stay up to date with Dressember, get styling tips, and see what fellow advocates are up to, follow the group on Instagram @dressember or visit their website at https://www.dressember.org/.
Featured Image Courtesy of Dressember.org