Honolulu Community College marches to stop violence against women

Men will wear women's high heels to add emphasis to the march on Wednesday, April 8

Honolulu Community College
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Posted: Apr 6, 2009

HONOLULU — Inspired by the saying "you cannot understand a person‘s experiences until you have walked a mile in their shoes," men of character at Honolulu Community College will boldly walk across campus in women‘s high heels to educate the community about a very serious subject and to rally the community to take action to prevent sexualized violence. Interim Chancellor Mike Rota will be joined by deans, campus leaders, students, women and children in a march right through the center of the Honolulu CC campus in an effort to get the message out on Wednesday, April 8, at noon.

The event will kick-off with a short, pre-march rally with speakers addressing participants about the dangers of rape, sexual assault and gender violence.

"One in six women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime, and college-aged women are four times more likely to be assaulted," explained Honolulu CC Director of Student Life and Development Emily Kukulies. "That is why the march is taking place on the campus."

Honolulu CC‘s Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force is hosting the event to raise awareness and get people talking about this serious issue.

"The community may not realize how sincerely dedicated the men of Honolulu Community College are to violence prevention. Our community believes in safety," said Kimberley Gallant, a mental health and wellness counselor at Honolulu CC.

Men, women, and children are invited to participate and walk-on registrants are welcome. On-site registration will be available starting at 10:30 a.m. Day-of-event registrants are not guaranteed shoes. High heels in all sizes will be available to those who register in advance and don‘t have their own. Marchers are encouraged to bring shoes if they have some available to them. Honolulu CC is accepting donations of women‘s shoes in size 9 and above, and donations can be delivered to Honolulu CC‘s Student Life and Development office.

The Honolulu CC event is held in partnership with Walk A Mile In Her Shoes: The International Men‘s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault, and Gender Violence. First proposed in 2001 by Frank Baird, it started out small and has grown each year since, with larger crowds attending each march and marches held in multiple locations throughout the country.

For more information, visit www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/inhershoes.

For more information, visit: http://www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/inhershoes