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Quick Link for IJM Internship Info: Not all who Wander are Lost: Part One
Because I’m a Girl
This post originally appeared on Dressember.org on November 8, 2018
After being introduced to human trafficking through a panel discussion at a community engagement event, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that human trafficking exists, let alone that it was rampant in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. This shock led me to choose human trafficking as a focal topic for a presentation on “a local issue” assigned by my Contemporary U.S. History teacher. If you’ve heard my story before, whether on the Dressember blog or in person, you’ve heard about how my teacher failed my proposal because “human trafficking isn’t a local issue.” You’ve probably also heard about how I moved forward with the project anyway, received high marks and a sincere apology from a man with a changed heart. I’ve advocated for anti-human trafficking efforts ever since, but many people have asked ‘why?’ Why, when there are so many different issues our world faces, have I stayed engaged with anti-human trafficking efforts, especially when it can seem like there is no chance of eliminating this industry?
“I keep fighting and advocating through Dressember because reclaiming the dress the way Dressember does resonates with me.”
I’ve had to do some pretty deep soul-searching to find an answer, but I’ve realized that it’s because I’m a girl.
I’m not trying to start any debates surrounding gender or roles, but this is my story. When I was younger, I was your stereotypical girly-girl. I wore dresses, played with dolls and loved dress-up. I never thought much of this behavior until one day at recess, in kindergarten, a group of boys chased me around the playground because, “she doesn’t have a penis.” They caught up to me and confirmed for themselves and when my parents called the school asking for disciplinary action, we were told I was lying. I stopped wearing dresses for a while because I didn’t feel comfortable in them anymore. It wasn’t a forever deal; they slowly made their way back into my closet, but I never wore them as freely as I had before.
“As I continued in male-dominated sports, I constantly dealt with being told I was never going to be good enough, or that I didn’t deserve to be there.”
Moving forward, my interests shifted from dance and gymnastics to basketball and ski jumping. In a family dominated by boys, and in a rather sporty friend group, I found myself focused on athletics rather than aesthetics. Continuing in male-dominated sports, I constantly dealt with being told I was never going to be good enough and that I didn’t deserve to be there. I found this to be true as a ski jumper since Women’s Ski Jumping wasn’t added to the Winter Olympics until 2014, (even though Men’s Ski Jumping has been around since the first Winter games). When I made the boys’ soccer team, my teammates told me it was just because they needed a goalie and that I should stop taking up their space on the field. When I was made captain, they told me it was just a political move and that our coach’s speech about my hard work and perseverance was just for show.
“It is a fight worth fighting, and it is for the dignity of those victims I fight.”
Almost every girl I’ve talked to has had some kind of experience similar to mine. Whether in the workplace, at school, or in sports, we have all faced something, and the #MeToo movement was a great demonstration of that. I also recognize that there is a lot of polarization surrounding the feminist movement, women’s marches and other fights for equality, but with human trafficking, we can all agree it needs to stop. Nothing that I have experienced comes close to what a survivor of human trafficking has gone through, but at the core, these experiences result from people not treating others as humans. I get mad when I get treated differently than the guys do, but I can’t imagine extensively being treated solely as a body that is there for someone else’s benefit the way those caught in human trafficking are. It is a fight worth fighting, and it is for the dignity of those victims I fight. I find my motivation in their strength, I can’t give up when others don’t always have the choice to.
I keep fighting and advocating through Dressember because reclaiming the dress the way Dressember does resonates with me. After my experience in kindergarten, wearing dresses made me feel weak and vulnerable. As I grew up, I thought I had to dress as much like a guy as possible in order for others to respect me. I’ve now found different reasons to love sweatpants and baggy t-shirts, (let’s be real, they are SO comfortable), but I love engaging with Dressember and showing that I can be powerful and make a difference regardless of what I wear.