New tee a show of solidarity for Wellington social enterprise creating fashion for a cause

The latest tee shirt design from NOPESISTERS Wellington pair Johanna and Brittany Cosgrove, is already responding to the huge uprising of the worldwide #metoo movement, highlighting the realities of a culture that has hidden or excused, sexual abuse.

NOPESISTERS have created their fifth fashion tee to share profits with partner organisations whose support work responds to social issues that they have a personal connection to.

It adds to their collection of: Mastectotee; NOPE tee; period. tee and NOPE for HOPE shirts, now worn around the world, donating thousands of dollars to support charities.

The message highlighted in their new meweTOO logo, encourages wearers to show solidarity and support for the global silence breakers. “We all know someone affected by sexual violence.” say the sisters. “That’s why we’re saying, it’s not just #metoo, it’s #wetoo.”
‘You can wear a tee to hopefully make it easier to speak out or be part of the conversation”.

The new meweTOO tee was commissioned by NOPESISTER’s charity partner Sexual Abuse HELP in November last year. The support organisation offers vital counselling services to victims. To reiterate the strength of collective voices in the wake of the swelling #metoo movement, HELP created a #weTOO hashtag for their major 2018 fundraising campaigns, such as the Round the Bays Run for HELP on February 18, to help them raise the $200,000 annual deficit required to provide their services.

NOPESISTERS designer Brit Cosgrove created a small logo stitched above the heart, meTOO is mirrored as weTOO – asking everyone, all genders, to stand up or speak out, and recognise we all need to work together to change the culture of sexual abuse and rape.

Profits from sales of meweTOO tees are shared with two sister organisations Sexual Abuse HELP and new charity partner Sexual Abuse Prevention Network ( SAPN ).
General Manager of SAPN Fiona McNamara says “We were thrilled to be approached by NOPESISTERS. In this competitive funding climate, we rely on community support to continue to deliver our specialist education programmes. The meweTOO tee not only offers a new income stream for us, but those wearing the tee-shirts show solidarity with survivors, which in turn encourages challenging conversations. Opening up dialogues about sexual abuse is a starting point of changing the culture that allows it to happen.”

This is a new three way collaboration for the NOPESISTERS. “We wanted this charity tee to not only support victims, but also give funds to an organisation we know is doing great work in educating people to recognise sexual abuse and try and stop it before it happens.” explained the sisters
“We are so impressed with SAPN’s programmes in schools, and particularly in the hospitality industry, where we both work. These positive steps towards solutions match the message of our NOPE and meweTOO tees, to encourage a consciousness about consent and sexual abuse.” Johanna says.

The design now aligns with the growing number of supporters, marchers and followers responding to global events like the ‘glitterboobs’ incident and Consent Movement in New Zealand, as well as annual Women’s marches, and the global demand for sexual abusers to be called to account for their actions.

“We are so excited to have a new charity collaborator for this tee” explain the sisters.

“We know that making a t-shirt might not change the world, but if it gives wearers some courage to speak out, or enables them to talk about the social issues attached to our design, then we are hopeful that, slowly, change can happen.” they say.

The NOPESISTERS very popular NOPE tee carrying a clear ‘NOPE means NO’ message has already given thousands in charity donations to partner charity Sexual Abuse HELP over the past year. HELP’S General Manager Conor Twyford says "The NOPE tee has provided a hugely effective way of engaging people in discussion about consent. Every time someone wears a NOPE tee they are creating the opportunity to have an important conversation with the dozens of people they meet in their day.”

Hundreds of men and women, have been wearing the NOPE message across their chests, in black and white, since the tee release a year ago.
Its message makes a demand for sexual consent, and consent education to foster safe and healthy relationships between all genders.

“We hope the new meweTOO tee will be as popular, and provide the perfect catalyst for wearers to have those very important conversations about sexual consent.” The sisters say.
ENDS

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