Day 5- Alexia

"Hey! I'm Alexia Pater.  I'm a senior exercise science major at Northwestern and I am participating in Dressember because in this season of holiday celebrations, cramming for finals, and other joyous chaos there are people in the world today who don't have these privileges that I so often take for granted. Putting a dress on every day, which isn't a very normal thing for me, is a way for me and hopefully others to be reminded of those people, specifically women enslaved in he sex trade. Whenever I wish I could just put a pair of sweatpants on for the day, I hope that my thoughts, prayers and conversations will be intentionally focused on these women.  Wearing a dress each day throughout December seems like such a little thing, but it's an opportunity here and now to be conscious of injustice and to take a stand."

Think trafficking doesn't happen close to home? Maybe you thought it only happened in other countries...
Fact: About 293,000 US children are at risk of being exploited and trafficked for sex, according to the 2011 FBI report on trafficking. Anyone under the age of 18 performing a commercial sex act is being trafficked, no matter what the circumstances may be. There's an interesting article on child "prostitution" here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-child-prostitute/2014/02/14/631ebd26-8ec7-11e3-b227-12a45d109e03_story.html