Nipissing University hosted a “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” walk on Tuesday.
The walk is an international men’s march to stop gender violence. Many local dignitaries came out to support the cause and walk in the bright red high heels around the University campus.
“This is an event we have seen at other University campuses,” Dr. Casey Phillips, Nipissing’s Vice-President of students said. “As we realize that we need to do more on our campus as male-identified individuals, to bring awareness to and eradicate gender-based violence, we thought was a great way to engage with our student and professional population in a fun way, but also in a way to encourage conversation. Sometimes you can use humour to open the door.”
“We are walking in red shoes in significance of gender violence and sexual violence within our community,” North Bay Police Chief Scott Tod explained. “It happens far too often within our community. As many of the speakers said, the amount of pain that we will feel wearing these shoes and walking in them is really insignificant to the pain and suffering that the people in our community face.”
“It’s an opportunity for us as leaders in our community to make our stand and show our support very publically,” Mayor Al McDonald stated. “My feet are going to be sore for four days but I can just imagine all the pain that people feel when it comes to gender-based violence. It’s worth it.”
An important aspect for the University to host is that so many people spend their formative adult years attending Colleges and Universities across the globe.
“We spend a lot of time with the students who are becoming adults and asking critical questions with us,” Phillips added. “Being able to provide that opportunity to engage in those conversations here, while they are developing and becoming members of the greater community, is really important to us. We think this conversation needs to be started as early as possible. It really is setting the stage to becoming a community that works together to eradicate any form of violence.”
Walk a mile in her shoes has been internationally recognized for its ability to draw attention to such an important issue through a fun opportunity of men wearing bright red high heels.