Believe Women. When deciding to report sexual assault, women shoulder colossal burdens. First, they are forced to retell and relive their trauma. Second, they must convince a stranger that their claim is valid. The story they share must be airtight – despite the fact that by definition sexual assault is fraught with emotion, fear and shame. Those who have the courage to speak out are too often doubly victimized. Once by their attacker and again by a system that not only discriminates against women, but also doubts them. This sweater was designed to obliterate the patriarchal standard that creates a deterrent for women to report attacks against them. This sweater calls for the prohibition of: placing an arbitrary deadline for survivors to report crimes; asking survivors what they said or what they wore that may have provoked being attacked; and retaliation, of any form, that may compromise a survivor’s ability to seek and find justice. This sweater requests that you believe women.