What Thrifting and Ethical Fashion Have to Do with Survivor Safety?
Vancouver, B.C. — As Canada marks Violence Against Women Prevention Week (April 20–April 26) and Fashion Revolution Week (April 22–April 27), a bold new campaign is calling attention to the threads that tie together the global fashion industry and the epidemic of gender-based violence.
“Wear Justice, Build Safety”, launching April 21, is a two-week fundraising and public awareness campaign that highlights how systems of violence—at home and in the garment industry—are interconnected. The campaign is led by Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS), with the goal of raising $75,000 to support frontline anti-violence services, prevention education, and economic empowerment.
“Whether it’s a garment worker overseas or a woman rebuilding her life after leaving abuse, the common thread is economic control. In the face of rising costs, trade wars, and job insecurity, survivors are being pushed to the edge.” Said Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director at Battered Women’s Support Services. “But we also know that women have always found ways to resist—through creativity, care, and community. This is a moment to honour that resilience and build systems where safety isn’t a privilege, but a right.”
The inclusive two-week events will feature:
- Fashion Revolution Thrift Crawl – BWSS Social Enterprise, My Sister’s Closet will be a part of the 2025 Fashion Revolution Week Thrift Crawl from Sunday, April 27 to Sunday, May 4, hosted by @fash_rev and @remakeourworld! Mark your calendars, stay tuned for more info, and get ready to thrift!
- A special podcast mini-series hosted on And Still We Rise, exploring the intersections from thread to shelter – Exposing the Hidden Links Between Fashion and Gender-Based Violence
- A week of powerful social media storytelling, highlighting survivor voices and ethical fashion under hashtags #WearJustice and #BuildSafety.
- Opportunities for the public to donate, attend events, and learn how fashion choices can be a force for change.
Fashion Revolution Week, created in response to the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse, is a global movement demanding transparency and justice in fashion supply chains. Violence Against Women Prevention Week brings awareness to the realities of domestic and intimate partner violence, which continue to impact over half of women and gender-diverse people in Canada.
“The women who sew our clothes and the women who seek safety from violence are often the same—poor or working-class. They are surviving overlapping systems of extraction, from unpaid care work to underpaid labour to intimate partner violence,” says Lucy Hagos, Manager My Sister’s Closet. “This isn’t about charity—it’s about economic justice, dignity, and the power of collective care to create real safety.”
The funds raised will go directly to supporting women and gender-diverse people who are navigating violence, poverty, and complex trauma, and to programming that builds long-term safety and economic autonomy—including employment skills, education, and training that support survivors in rebuilding their lives.
Media and community members are encouraged to get involved by attending events, sharing stories, and making donations through.
