Four years ago, I learned about an organization called Dressember. Someone I knew was posting about it on social media saying how she was going to wear a dress every single day for the month of December; I was intrigued to say the least. I soon learned that she was helping raise funds with Dressember. The organization “equips a community of advocates to fight for the dignity of all people, leading to the protection and freedom of millions”. By advocating and raising funds for the month of December, Dressember works to prevent, intervene, and protect the lives of trafficking victims and survivors across the world.
I knew that I wanted to make a difference and so for the past few years I have been participating in this movement each holiday season. Over the past year my career has shifted more to advocacy and writing about the outdoor industry as a whole. So, a few months ago I got an idea of how I could combine my Dressember advocacy with the other work that I do online. I wanted to make a stand for equality in all areas of our lives, using a dress to express my mission.
This year I won’t just be wearing a dress each day. Instead, I will be running in a dress every day of December. In doing so I hope to continue to participate in the mission of Dressember while raising fund and awareness to address the inequality that still persists within the outdoor industry. Womxn around the world are not given equal opportunities in life, in rights, in the workplace, in pay, or in the outdoors. This month I will be using my voice to help raise awareness and funds in order to elicit lasting changes.
Inequality persists in every facet of our lives, and the outdoors are no exception. This inequality presents itself in the amount of representation womxn receive, who the highest paid individuals in the field are, how gear is designed to fit, and the amount of opportunity provided for getting involved. This is just scratching the surface of the deep-rooted issues that often go unnoticed and undiscussed. Well, I’m here to ensure we have those discussions. Each day I’ll be wearing a dress and sharing a bit more about what we can do to continue this fight. I also wanted to make this movement as sustainable as possible. In case you’re wondering, no I don’t own 31 dresses, so I’ll be re-wearing many that I do own. For the few dresses I bought to add to my closet, I purchased them from my local thrift store and tried to find ones that I would want to keep wearing once this month is done.
This month I’m running for those affected by trafficking. I’m running for those fighting for others. I’m running for equality. I’m running for the outdoor industry. I’m running for change.
*Below is the link to my donation page, a bit about why I’m so passionate about this mission, and how you too can get involved.
My Page
Dressember https://www.dressember.org