Hundreds gather in Kauai Denim Day observance, support sexual assault survivors

Several hundred people gathered at the Moikeha Building in Līhue for Denim Day, but the most immediate message for Kauai survivors was practical: YWCA Kauai answers its hotline at 808-245-6362 around the clock, and the Kauai Police Department lists a sexual assault crisis line at 808-245-4144. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Gov. Josh Green issued proclamations for the observance, which put public attention on help that is available now, not just a symbolic day on the calendar.

The observance was again led by the Kauai Committee on the Status of Women and the Zonta Club of Kauai, with the YWCA of Kauai, the Kauai Police Department, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Life’s Choices and other county supporters taking part. Kauai had already used the same playbook in 2025, when the county invited the public to wear denim and attend a proclamation presentation at the County of Kauai Rotunda, a reminder that this is a recurring effort, not a one-off ceremony.

For survivors who need help beyond the rally, the county’s service network is already in place. YWCA Kauai says it is the primary provider of domestic violence and sexual assault services on the island, offering free crisis counseling, victim advocacy, emergency assistance and referrals. Its calls are answered 24 hours a day, and texts are answered from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The agency also provides free therapy for survivors and their families, plus a weekly Survivor Support Group for adults on Kauai.

KPD says Gina Kaulukukui, the department’s domestic violence coordinator, can help with community referrals, safety planning and TRO preparations at 808-241-1695. The department’s Criminal Investigations Division includes Sex Crimes and Sex Assault Forensic Nurses, while the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney points victims and witnesses to a Victim Assistance Unit and crime-victim compensation programs. The county’s Life’s Choices resource directory also lists 911 for emergencies, 808-241-1711 for non-emergencies and 988 for mental health crisis support, which matters because a crisis rarely arrives neatly in one place.

Denim Day grew out of outrage over an Italian Supreme Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. Women in the Italian Parliament wore jeans in protest, and the campaign spread from Los Angeles in 1999 to an international Sexual Assault Awareness Month observance held on the last Wednesday in April. The need for that visibility remains stark: RAINN says most perpetrators are people survivors know and trust, and nearly 98% are never fully held accountable through the criminal justice system. On Kauai, that gap is why the county’s annual observance now functions as a public safety reminder as much as a show of solidarity.