Walk a Mile

Men Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®
to Stop Sexual Assault and Gender Violence
Wednesday, May 18th, 2016 at Drumheller

 

Register Here                         Download Sponsor Sheet

 

In Drumheller on May 18th, 2016, men from all walks of life will walk one mile in women’s high heeled shoes. They will walk to protest sexual assault & gender violence. There will be a post rally BBQ in the Freson Bros. parking lot for participants. Proceeds from the event will aid the Big Country Anti Violence Association (BCAVA) and the Association of Communities Against Abuse’s (ACAA) violence prevention efforts, and sexual assault services in Drumheller and surrounding areas.

WHO: Male community members and leaders will proclaim their solidarity with the sexual assault prevention movement by marching in high heels, with women and children marching at their side. Educators, students, law enforcement officers, elected and appointed officials, and others are being encouraged to participate.
 
WHEN: The march is scheduled to begin at 11:30am at the Co-op Mall parking lot. The march will be followed by a BBQ hosted and held at Freson Bros. (parking lot). Men, women, and children are invited to participate and walk-on registrants are welcome. Men are encouraged (but not required) to walk in women’s shoes and participants are being asked to obtain a minimum of $100 in sponsorship. High heels in all sizes will be available to those who don’t have their own.
 

IMPORTANT STATS:

  • In 2000, 27,154 sexual offences were reported in Canada, including 24,049 sexual assaults and 3,105 other types of sexual offences. Women made up the vast majority of victims of sexual assault (86%) and other types of sexual offences (78%) (Statistics Canada, 2001).
  • 58% of adult women in Alberta have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical assault since the age of 16 (Statistics Canada, 1993).
  • 83% of Canadian women fear walking to their cars in a public garage after dark alone. 75% fear waiting for/using public transportation. 60% fear walking alone in their own area. 39% fear being at home alone (Statistics Canada, 1993).
 
Inspired by the old saying, “You can’t understand a person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes,” men will literally walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes.
 

The Big Country Anti Violence Association has been active in Drumheller for 15+ years. This is the committee behind the successful Red Rose Campaign held in the Valley every November, as part of prevention of Family Violence Month. Proceeds from this fundraising event will support the BCAVA in its efforts around education and its new transportation fund (which assists domestic violence victims in accessing safe housing). The BCAVA would like to thank the community for their ongoing support of our initiatives and encourage everyone to help with the walk whether; as a participant, sponsoring a walker or making a donation to the committee.

For more information on this initiative please visit the www.walkamileinhershoes.org.