Local women take on a global issue, armed with passion and creativity

Dressember: Restoring Beauty and Dignity around the World

Tacoma, WA -- Human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children persists as a largely hidden epidemic around the world, including the United States. Lack of awareness and misconceptions make prevention and justice difficult to attain.

One local group of women is joining an international movement called Dressember in an effort to advocate for and improve the lives of exploited women. Participants in Dressember commit to wearing a dress every day for the month of December, harnessing the very femininity that often makes women targets of sexual and physical violence.

Dressember founder, Blythe Hill, began her campaign in 2009 as a way to use her interests in fashion and writing to shine a light on the worldwide oppression of women. The movement grew rapidly and in 2013, she leveraged the concept to begin fundraising for International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization that partners with local authorities to rescue victims, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen justice systems in developing countries.

In 2015, Dressember will also be raising funds for A21, a nonprofit that seeks to abolish human trafficking in the 21st century. A21 operates out of the UK, Australia, and the United States, serving as a sobering reminder that this is not an issue that only affects poor people in other countries.

No matter where you are in the world, the stigma of prostitution, the criminalization of victims, the grooming methods used by pimps, and the exploitation of the vulnerable make justice elusive for almost all of those who are caught in the web of human sex trafficking.

Like Dressember’s founder, Lisa Hepfer and Jessica Uhler are using their time and talents as photographers to make a difference. They have joined forces and brought together their community to establish a local Dressember team called Beauty and Dignity.