Welcome everyone! This week, we’re looking at Dressember 2016 in review - a movement with SO much guts and grace, empowering and encompassing the most wonderful things about women (and men!). A movement which raised over ONE MILLION DOLLARS!! Maybe you’ve heard of it (then go you!), maybe you haven’t (no problem at all there!), but here’s some FAQs regarding Dressember: what it is, what it’s for, what’s involved- and some highlights of women who I know of (or adore!) who took part this year.

1. What is Dressember?

Dressember is an event that began 2013 by a group of amazing women where women wear dresses for the entirety of December. Now why on EARTH would one sign up for that (besides a love of dresses of course!)? Because for us free women, the discomfort or trouble of planning how to stay warm is nothing compared to the discomfort of being a slave - especially a sexual slave, as so many women are across the world. Dressember is free women taking a stand for the dignity and freedom of all women - by wearing a dress. They’ve raised 1.5 MILLION dollars for their organizations in the last 3 years, and this year Dressember is a way of bringing awareness to one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world - that of stripping people, especially women, of their humanity, rights and freedoms in ways we can’t even imagine.

2. What is It fighting for?

Dressember is mainly a fundraising campaign with goals as high as millions of dollars, but also a way of bringing awareness to the issue of human trafficking. It’s pretty similar to how the ice bucket challenge brought awareness and funds to ALS a few years back. Dressember is women wearing dresses and saying that being a woman is in no way weak, second class, or silly and that if women can do anything in a dress, mankind can do anything to end slavery. Women are putting on skirts and tights in the cold to say that there is an issue here: women around the world aren’t being allowed to be women. Humans aren’t being allowed to be humans, and that that needs to stop. Women around the world are being stripped of their freedom to laugh, dream, and dance, and that ends now.

Florals AND an axe? I'm down!

3. What is human trafficking?

While Dressember is in support of women in general and against all sorts of injustices against women and men, the biggest thing they’re about is human trafficking. Human trafficking is simply a fancy word for slavery of all kinds, particularly for labor and sex. It’s… It’s a dark subject. There are things unimaginable that are done. Women in sexual slavery are raped several times a day, and their children given to pedophile rings - one such story of this is how Christine Caine, the founder of A21 (one of the organizations the money goes to) was inspired to start A21. This isn’t the only sort of horrors done - there are a million variations of this sort of slavery and what happens, but it’s one of the darkest parts of humanity. That we are capable of using other humans for only profit and gain, as if they were drugs or dogs, is something that breaks the heart of both myself and those who have taken action against it.

Human trafficking is a global problem- including in the United States. Las Vegas is, in fact, one of the captials of sexual slavery in the U.S. Often, victims are the most vulnerable and come from poverty and violence.

4. Who gets the donations?

Now, there is HOPE. In the face of injustice, there is love. There are fighters. Things are being done! That’s what Dressember is all about! Dressember itself isn’t an organization per say - all gains of the event go to two wonderful, global organizations that are on the front lines of the fight against slavery. The first, A21, or Abolishing Slavery in the 21st century , is a global organization that works to rescue, treat, and restore victims of human trafficking. They also work to prosecute those who have committed these crimes and work internationally to find ways to bring awareness and prevent new victims from falling into this. The second is the International Justice Mission, which works against all sorts of injustices across the world. IJM works globally to end slavery, forced organ removals, corrupt law and order systems, and several others. They are absolutely on the front lines in cases across the world and while what they fight is heartbreaking, their determination and successes are SO hope-filled.

5. How do you take part?

Well, the BIGGEST way to be a part of Dressember is to donate or share posts about the issues of the heart of Dressember. This is January now, but you can still likely donate to the campaign for 2017 (head start!). You can donate on the pages of certain teams or people- or just to the campaign as a whole! Donate here! That is the BIGGEST contribution anyone can make. And of course, taking part and wearing a dress for the month of December or joining a team is also an AMAZING way to take part (I know I will be next year!). And it's not just limited to women either! Men have participated by dressing up or wearing a bowtie for the month as support for the dignity of women.

Beyond Dressember, ways to help fight human trafficking and slavery include giving to IJM or A21 on a regular basis, as well as things specific to IJM or A21. Through A21, there’s merch to buy that supports their work. They have “A-Teams” which work locally to fight slavery, their annual, global walk, Walk for Freedom, and (my personal favorite) writing letters to survivors currently in care at their Greece rehab center.

Click here for 21 ways to help abolish slavery!

Through IJM, you can become a freedom partner by giving monthly, you can use their programs to spread awareness, or (what I do) sign up for their weekly prayer e-mails which update you on the goings-on, concerns, and victories of their work globally (and also can guide you in specific prayers for justice and love in these issues.)

Click here to go to IJM's homepage.

Locally, there are various other organizations which work specifically in a local area. For Las Vegas, the organization Purple Wings works with Vegas victims of sex slavery to restore and rehabilitate them. They can always use support in their local work.

6. Highlights!

Now! Here are some of my personal favorite or known about participants in Dressember.

Dress Well, Do Good's Beth Carroll (@think_liz)

Two women out of Texas with a big heart for ethical fashion and justice make up a great blog called Dress Well, Do Good, and Beth from the pair, @think_liz, had almost daily posts with issues, stats, and facts about human trafficking.

Marantha High School (@mhsdressember)

A high school group which has worked tirelessly on campus to get people involved and to donate to their page- they have raised THOUSANDS of dollars as a group of teenaged girls and I’m incredibly inspired by their dedication and prowess.

3. Danielle Jackson and her friends, @thehecticglow

A personal friend of mine, Danielle Jackson, as well as some her newfound friends joined together to participate in Dressember, and it was awesome! While I don’t know everyone in this group, the fact that someone I know took part and people so close to home are also doing something was incredible in and of itself. You don’t have to do something incredible to be an incredible participant in Dressember - just doing something at all is amazing in and of itself!

Personally, I know if I could I’d be pounding on Jen Hatmaker’s door and be like “Lady, get on this train!” But she does SO much for so many already so... (but this is SO right up her alley!) Sorry, fan moment, haha.

But thank you so much for reading through this review of Dressember! I know some of the issues can be deep and dark, but Dressember is working to give hope and light. As A21 says, "we can't do everything, but everyone can do something." In the face of these injustices, Dressember is a way to find your something!