Men, it’s time to dust off those high-heels!
There is an old saying: “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” That is why we’re asking men to put on a pair of high heels and join Barrick Turquoise Ridge, White Ribbon, and Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services for the 2nd Annual Winnemucca Walk A Mile in Her Shoes Event, the international men’s march to end violence against women, promote gender equality and healthy relationships. This event asks men to walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes. It is not easy walking in these shoes, but it is fun and it gets the community to talk about something that is difficult to talk about: rape, sexual assault and gender based violence. This great opportunity will begin 4 p.m. Friday, May 15, at Winnemucca City Hall.
It’s time to talk about rape, sexual assault and gender violence
It’s critical to open communication about gender based violence otherwise it stays hidden and immune from a cure. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get people talking. People unfamiliar with gender based violence don’t even want to know it exists. It is ugly. People that have experienced gender based violence themselves want to forget about it. How do you get people talking now, so they can prevent it from happening? If it has already happened, how do you help them get help to recover and heal?
A Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Event is abundant with opportunities to get people talking. For preventive education, it helps men better understand and appreciate women’s experiences, thus changing perspectives, helping improve gender relationships and decreasing the potential for violence. It informs the community that services are available locally for healing. It demonstrates that men are willing and able to be courageous partners in making the world a safer place for women and girls. It is men taking a stand and being role models for boys in ending violence against women and girls.
Why? Because it’s NOT Just a Women’s Issue
Gender based violence does not just affect women. It affects the men who care about them, their families, their friends, their coworkers, and their communities.
Gender based violence is an epidemic.
Some statistics provided by RAINN.org are:
• Every 107 seconds someone in America is raped.
• 44 percent of victims are under the age of 18.
• Two-thirds of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
• One in six American women are victims of sexual assault. That means someone you know, someone you care about, has been or may become the victim of sexual violence gender based violence. It may be your mother, your sister, your friend, your girlfriend, your wife, your coworker, or your daughter.
On May 15, we’re all going to help end violence against women and girls, one step at a time.
For more information, call Winnemucca Domestic Violence Services at 625-1313 or visit www.WinnemuccaDVS.org
Like us on Facebook at Winnemucca: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.
