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 

Day 4- Ashley and Mady

You've learned that men can participate in Dressember and advocate for the oppressed, and today you'll learn kids can too!

"My name’s Ashley Stanislav and my daughter Mady and I are excited to participate in Dressember. I care deeply about the issue of human trafficking but I often find myself feeling a bit stuck when I think about what I can possibly to do make a difference in small town Iowa. Dressember provides a tangible way to actively “do something” about human trafficking. Proverbs 31:8 says to “Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate” (CJB).  If by wearing a dress all month long I can help shed some light on such a tragic thing happening in our world and advocate for people who are suffering, then I will happily change up my wardrobe! International Justice Mission is one of my favorite organizations and I love the work they do around the world on so many issues. I’m excited that the money raised through Dressember will help them as they continue to change people’s lives. I chose to have Mady participate in Dressember because I want her to grow up with a heart that is compassionate and empathetic to the world around her. Slavery is a tough issue and she doesn’t need to know everything about it yet, but I think it’s okay for her to know that there are people that aren’t free; families that don’t get to be together and kids like her that don’t get to go to school and play and feel safe because some people think it’s okay to make them do whatever they want. I think right now she’s mainly excited about wearing a dress every day, but I hope that by the end of the month she will be able to tell people why we are doing Dressember and that it will be about more than looking pretty"

Fact: The average age of a trafficking victim is TWELVE years old. - The A21 Campaign

Day 3- TJ.

Today you get to meet Tyler Janssen, or TJ as most people know him by. Northwestern is unique because we have had guys actually request to participate in Dressember, and therefore our campaign became "Dress(up)ember." Guys are pivotal in the fight of ending modern day slavery and here's what TJ has to say:

"My name is TJ. I go to Northwestern college as a 5th year senior studying Marketing. I was one of the college students that was confused at the topic of "human trafficking." I was curious on how this can be a thing. I was upset on how this could be ignored. I am currently wondering why this is a thing. I am also currently hopeful for this "thing" to be gone forever.
I was sick of letting others do something about this while I easily could be a part of something that can better our world, and I believe in a world where human trafficking doesn't exist. That is why I am fighting for this to end. If I must wear a tie everyday to show I care about the freedom and the dignity of countless women everywhere, then that really isn't too hard to do. I want to choose to be part of Dressember, and just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I can't care for the 30 million. I just want people to get out of the unawareness that I was in about the subjugation of women. People need to know. Because only we can end this."

Here's a link to another blog featuring Teej: http://buckeyesimplicity.com/2014/12/03/dressember-a-guy-in-a-tie/ 

Fact: "Over 85% of sex trafficking cases the National Human Trafficking Resource Center received from 2007-2012 dealt with women and girls, leaving almost 15% male and transgender victims." - NHTRC and Polaris Project

Day 2- Kristen.

On day 2 of Dressember you get the privilege of meeting Kristen. She's also a senior at NW majoring in nursing. Kristen's passion for justice and desire to serve the Kingdom shines through everything she does. ALSO, Kristen will be wearing this same black dress for the next 30 days! 

"I'm participating in Dressember because I believe in the individual beauty and creativity of each woman who walks this earth, including the 30 million women who find themselves in slavery.  I'm participating in Dressember with the women and children of Goa, India specifically on my heart and mind.  This past summer I had the chance to spend six weeks getting to know so many stories of these beautiful individuals who find themselves in such diverse and challenging circumstances.  And one of those circumstances includes finding themselves at a very high risk for becoming victims of sex trafficking.  This issue has pulled at my heart for a couple of years now, and I'm thankful for events like Dressember that allow so many of us to be involved in the fight to end slavery.  Dressember shows that fighting for justice can be creative, unique, and diverse.  May we use our individual voices and passions to bring hope to the 30 million. "

Fact for today: Human trafficking generates more than $32 billion annually. This is twice as much as Starbucks profits in one year.

Dressember day 1.

Dressember is officially here, folks! Goodbye pants and hello dresses. For the next 31 days, I hope to do a daily profile of different people participating in Dressember. We'll have a short introduction, and a snip-it of why they've chosen to participate. Remember, no one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Dressember is about solidarity. It's about joining forces to make our voices heard and fight for the oppressed. So here are a few of our voices:


   Many of you know me, as this blog is home for me, but I'm Kelsey and I'm participating in Dressember because I believe in freedom for all women. I believe we're called to be a voice for the voiceless. I'm a Jesus follower, justice seeker, and coffee enthusiast. I'm finishing up my senior year at Northwestern, and hope to have those little letters, "RN, BSN" behind my name in six months. I have a heart for the nations, which is what originally gave me such a passion to fight human trafficking.

    In June 2013 I hopped on board a plane to live in Bangalore, India for two months. I worked with an anti-trafficking organization doing prevention work in the slums, cleaning in an HIV hospital, and working in an aftercare center. There, I fell in love with 28 women who had survived the horrific injustices of sex-trafficking. I saw their scars, learned their names, and heard their stories. I saw women, unsure of their own age, who endured greater injustices than I can even fathom. The number of people trafficked globally- 27 million suddenly became so much more real to me. Because for me, some women included in that number are women oh so dear to my heart. They are women who have touched my heart and changed my life. They are strong, joyful, and they are over-comers! So I'm participating in Dressember for these 28 women and the millions of others out there who I haven't met because I believe that each and every one of them is a beloved daughter of the King! By simply wearing a dress for 31 days I hope to shine a light on slavery and raise awareness in order to free women around the world. I have a voice, and this December I am using it. Your voice matters, too, and our voices are louder together. 

Fact for the day:  Human trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking in Persons Report is "The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery."

https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise/team?ftid=38529