Here is some information about the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Campaign® and how it benefits the Women’s Community House.
Put Yourself in Her Shoes®
Each year, an ever-increasing number of men are joining Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® is a fun opportunity for men to educate the community about a very serious subject and to rally the community to take action to prevent sexualized violence – and raise money for women’s shelters and women’s emergency services.
First You Walk the Walk
There’s an old saying: “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® asks men to literally walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes. It’s not easy walking in these shoes, but it’s fun and it gets the community to talk about something that’s really difficult to talk about: gender relations and sexual violence.
Then You Talk the Talk
London, Ontario is home to Women’s Community House – the largest high-security shelter for abused women and their children in Canada. Two shelters, which never close, provide emergency and short term shelter, counseling and support free of charge. In 2010, 305 women with 204 children were admitted to escape family violence. These families stayed a total of 18,229 days free of charge. Shelter counselors answered 4,980 calls on the 24-hour Abused Women’s Helpline. Even so, last year we had to turn away an additional 347 women and children because of lack of shelter space – an average of 41 per month!
Monies raised from Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® ensure shelter services always remain free of charge.
Woman abuse is Not Just a Women’s Issue
Woman abuse does not just affect women. It affects the men who care about them, their families, their children, their friends, their co-workers and the community.
Walkers Talk
One in every four women is abused. That means someone you know, someone you care about, has been or may become a victim of abuse. It may be your mother, your sister, your friend, your coworker or your daughter.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® provides several opportunities to get people talking. For preventive education it helps men better understand and appreciate women’s experiences thus changing perspectives, and it demonstrates that men are willing and able to be courageous partners with women in making our world a safer place.
“Participation in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® event is an important statement that men can make in terms of supporting an end to violence against women…” Click here to read more!
