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SXU News - Saint Xavier University News

Men walk in high-heel shoes at Saint Xavier for awareness towards sexual assault

Date:03/21/2017
https://www.sxu.edu/news/articles/2017/images/men-walk-heels-today.jpg

Did you know that one in five women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives? That said, on Wednesday, March 29, don't be surprised if you see a group of men rocking a set of high-heels and strutting their stuff as they walk alongside Saint Xavier University's (SXU) Chicago campus, 3700 West 103rd Street for the Third Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® event. Male students, faculty, and staff will be walking one mile of their campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to get the community talking about topics including gender relations and sexual assault. This walk is expected to generate attention from students, faculty, staff, and local community members alike.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month across the country. As a way to kick-off this awareness month, men at SXU are getting pumped up - literally - in order to raise awareness about this pressing issue within society.

The day of the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® event will include awareness for the violence towards women, numerous spectators, and the much anticipated viewing of men walking in high-heels. The event is free and open to the public, and anyone interested in participating should meet in the SXU Diner Atrium at 11 a.m. to witness such a feat.

Last year's event proved tough for some, but as the participants neared the end of the mile-stretch, a group of women and other supporters lined up in rows to clap and congratulate them. The men immediately took off their heels to change into some more comfortable shoes. Although this event is light-hearted in nature compared to the issue of sexual assault, it proves a point you never fully understand another's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

For more information contact Samantha Maher-Sheahan, associate dean of students at 773-298-3122.

About Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®

The mission of Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® is to create a unique and powerful public experience that educates individuals and communities about the causes of men's sexualized violence against women, and provides them with prevention and remediation strategies. The march empowers men, and all participants, to further develop and implement these strategies both interpersonally and politically.