Kapiolani Community College marches to stop violence

Men will wear women's high heels in a march around campus on April 28

Kapiʻolani Community College
Contact:
Louise Yamamoto, (808) 734-9513
Dir, Alumni, Comm & Corporate Rel, Culinary, Hospitality and College Advancement
Posted: Apr 20, 2010

HONOLULU – Kapiʻolani Community College Chancellor Leon Richards will lead the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" ® march around campus to make a stand against violence against women. The Kapiʻolani CC Violence Taskforce is asking everyone to take action and respond to situations involving gender violence, sexual harassment and prevention by joining their march on Wednesday, April 28, at noon at Kapiʻolani CC.
 
Chancellor Richards will be joined by Wayne Fredericks from campus security, as well as deans, campus leaders and students in a mile march around the campus in an effort to empower and encourage bystanders to do the “unpopular” and stand up to violence. To add emphasis to the march, the men will be wearing women’s high heels. The inspiration for wearing high heels stems from the old saying, “You can’t really understand another person's experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
 
“This event really puts words into action. We can talk all day about how we support violence against women, but it is just words unless we do something to show our support,” said Veronica Ogata, co-organizer of the event and an assistant professor at Kapʻiolani CC. “It is not easy for men to come out, put on a pair of women’s high heels and walk in them for everyone to see, but they do it because they are committed to violence prevention.”
 
A short pre-march rally will kick off the event. Chancellor Richards, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Louise Pagotto, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Mona Lee and Special Assistant to the Chancellor Salvatore Lanzilotti will welcome the marchers and talk about the significance and importance of this event.
 
On-site registration starts at 11 a.m. Men, women, and children are invited to participate. High heels in all sizes will be available to those who register in advance and don't have their own shoes. Marchers are encouraged to bring their own if they have them, and donations of shoes will be accepted.
 
Kapiʻolani Community College's Violence Prevention Taskforce is organizing the event to raise awareness and get people talking about this serious issue. The college wants the community to know that they are sincerely dedicated to violence prevention and safety. The march is part of a national program to highlight April as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month.” One in three women has experienced gender violence in her lifetime, and a woman is raped every 90 seconds in America.
 
For more information about the event, call 734-9504.