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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING APRIL AS NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH AND APRIL 29th, 2026, AS “DENIM DAY”
WHEREAS, every year, April is recognized as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and
WHEREAS, according to national statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of women (45.1%) and more than one in six men (16.9%) in the United States have experienced some form sexual violence during their lifetimes; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), 47% of transgender people experience sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), on average, there are 433,648 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States of America (U.S.), and;
WHEREAS, this data also reveals that every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, and every 9 minutes, that victim is a child; and
WHEREAS, according to RAINN: only 310 of every 1,000 rapes are reported, only 50 of every 1,000 rapes lead to arrest, and only 25 of every 1,000 rapes lead to conviction in the United States of America (U.S.); and
WHEREAS, of sexual abuse cases reported to law enforcement, 93% of juvenile victims knew the perpetrator, 59% were acquaintances, 34% were family members, and 7% were strangers to the victim; and
WHEREAS, among graduate and professional students, 9.7% of females and 2.5% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation; and
WHEREAS, among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation; and
WHEREAS, the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care has reported a significant worldwide increase in sexual violence cases since the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, for the past 24 years, Peace Over Violence, a sexual and domestic violence prevention center headquartered in Los Angeles, California, has hosted the Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and
WHEREAS, the Denim Day story began in Italy in 1992, when an 18-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by the 45-year-old driving instructor who was taking her on her very first driving lesson; and
WHEREAS, after she reported the assault, the perpetrator was arrested, prosecuted, and convicted of rape and sentenced to jail; and
WHEREAS, years later, that conviction was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court using the “jeans alibi” - according to the justices, the woman was wearing tight-fitting jeans; therefore, she must have helped remove them during the assault, thereby implying consent; and
WHEREAS, the following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the survivors; and
WHEREAS, the Denim Day campaign became official in the United States of America (U.S.) in 1999, when individuals wore denim in solidarity with Italian women following the widely publicized court ruling in Italy; and
WHEREAS, since then, wearing jeans or other denim apparel on Denim Day has become a symbol of public protest against the myths and misconceptions of sexual harassment, abuse, assault, and rape; and
WHEREAS, the Me Too movement, founded in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke to support survivors-particularly young women of color-grew into a global phenomenon in 2017 through widespread social media amplification across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, enabling millions to share their experiences of harassment and assault, build empathy, and raise global awareness, generating more than 2.3 million #MeToo tweets across 85 countries; and
WHEREAS, the movement emerged amid broader cultural demands for accountability and women’s rights, shifting public discourse from isolated incidents to recognition of systemic sexual violence and harassment; and
WHEREAS, prominent leaders and advocates such as Dolores Huerta, have courageously come forward in recent years, helping to elevate survivor voices, challenge stigma, and inspire institutional and societal change; and
WHEREAS, in this sexual violence prevention and education campaign, community members, elected officials, businesses, and students are asked to make a social statement by wearing denim on this day as a visible protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognizes Wednesday, April 29th, 2026 as “Denim Day” and uses this opportunity to bring awareness to this issue and advocate for survivors.end