The Howe Sound Women's Centre is looking for well-heeled men to pound the pavement while raising awareness of violence against women.
On Aug. 14, prepare for a few raised eyebrows when the second annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes will have dozens of men donning red high-heeled women's shoes for a mile-long walk in downtown Squamish.
"The premise of having men walk a mile in those shoes is to have men supporting women," said the centre's health and wellness representative Heidi Nielsen.
"There's a lot of blinders on with violence against women. People don't want to look at it, they want to acknowledge that it's happening, but it happens a lot. It's about bringing it into the light and men marching against violence."
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes has caught on, and the growing support is bringing awareness to communities all over the world.
"Sexualized violence does not just affect women," states the event website. "It affects the men who care about them, their families, their friends, their coworkers, and their communities."
Despite the heavy subject matter, said Nielsen, the fundraiser is actually a light-hearted affair that involves face painting for the kids - and a lot of laughs, as last year's participants can attest.
"The support was wonderful with over 25 men marching and many more women and children marching alongside them through the streets of downtown Squamish."
Last year's Walk a Mile raised $8,000 for the centre's numerous programs, and not only does it raise awareness, but it also raises funds for the centre's numerous support initiatives'
"It goes towards helping our programming here at the Women's Centre," said Nielsen. "We do a multitude of things - we have a transition house in town, we have Pearl's Seconds, we have the drop-in centre for women to be able to use the computer, get help with writing resumes, we have children's counselling for children who have witnessed abuse, we have yoga and meditation, we have a hot lunch that happens on Fridays."
Participants must register by July 16 to ensure they get an appropriate shoe size.
"We're going to order all the shoes," said Nielsen. "We're trying to get all high-heeled red shoes, and obviously in larger sizes so the men can at least navigate in a semi-comfortable way."
Organizers are encouraging participants to have fun forming teams and challenging family members, friends or others from the workplace.
"We also ask that the walkers dress as they normally would - no women's clothing please! - and strongly encourage uniforms, work gear."
For more information, call the Howe Sound Women's Centre at 604-892-5748 or email [email protected]. Participants can also email to receive the registration and pledge forms, or drop by the Howe Sound Women's Centre office at 38021 Third Avenue.
