A group of Bond University students will don their old school uniforms this week in an effort to raise awareness and funds to improve girls' education in West Africa.
The Do it in a Dress campaign, run by Melbourne charity organisation One Girl, encourages men and women to wear school dresses for a week in October to raise funds to provide for schooling, uniforms, accommodation and textbooks for girls in Sierra Leone.
A team of 20 students from the Bond University United Nations Students Association (BUUNSA) will participate in the annual campaign, with 8 men and 12 women wearing school dresses to work, sport, university and beyond so girls in Sierra Leone have the opportunity to do the same.
Maggie Munn, member of the BUUNSA, said the Do it in a Dress campaign was a novel way to draw attention to a serious issue.
"It is a frightening statistic that 66 million girls around the world are not allowed to attend school, based solely on their gender," said Ms Munn.
"In Sierra Leone, a girl is more likely to be sexually assaulted than to attend school.
"As a woman who has been privileged enough to attend a fantastic university and experience the power of education first hand, it breaks my heart to know that girls in some parts of our world are denied this basic human right.
"When you educate a girl, she can change the world. She is better equipped to overcome her circumstances - be it domestic violence, poverty, inequality, child marriage or slavery - to be a champion of change in her family, her community, and the world."
Ms Munn said every $300 raised would allow a girl in Sierra Leone to attend school for an entire year.
"Do it in a Dress is a quirky way to generate discussion and awareness around an important global issue, and we encourage anyone who can donate to do so - every dollar makes a difference," she said.
"It’s not everyday you see men and women who have graduated high school wearing school uniforms, so we hope that by wearing our dresses we create a conversation that leads to girls in Sierra Leone being able to wear school dresses too."
The team will undertake a range of awareness and fundraising activities throughout the week in their uniforms, including a bake sale, mountain climb and evening at Don’s Tavern.
Donations to Bond's Do It In a Dress campaign can be made online.
Anyone interested in taking part by wearing a dress with the Bond team, please contact [email protected] or visit the Bond Does it in a Dress Facebook page for more info.