Join Zonta Club of Kaua‘i on Denim Day April 29

The Committee on the Status of Women on Denim Day 2019. Contributed photo

Zonta Club of Kaua‘i is inviting you to wear denim on April 29 to support victims and survivors of sexual assault.

In 1992, Italian courts sentenced a 45-year-old man for raping an 18-year-old girl. The man was her driving instructor, and threatened to kill the girl before raping her.

However, the man appealed his conviction, and the Italian Supreme Court overturned the case in 1998. The head judge’s argument for overturning the rape conviction was that the girl was wearing tight jeans, so she must have assisted in the removal of the jeans, and therefore she consented to have sex.

There was widespread protest following the Italian Supreme Court’s decision, and the women in the Italian Parliament, enraged by the verdict, wore jeans as a protest. Since then, many countries have observed Denim Day on April 29.

It took 10 years, but in 2008, the Italian Supreme Court finally overturned its findings, and there is no longer a “denim defense” in rape charges in Italy.

As Zonta says, “There’s no excuse and never an invitation to rape!”

On April 29, millions across the globe will join the movement and wear denim in support of victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault.

You too can join the movement by wearing denim on April 29, and also by sharing it on social media and using the hashtag #zontaclubofkauai. Follow Zonta Club of Kaua‘i on Instagram at @zontaclubofkauai808 and Facebook at @zontaclubofkauai.