Events that bring a community together to remember and to say: not here, not anymore.
Put Yourself in Her Shoes™
Men Ending Men’s Sexualized Violence
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® Put Yourself in Her Shoes™
Since 2001, men, women, and their families around the world have joined award-winning Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence. It is a dramatic opportunity to raise awareness in your community about the serious causes, effects, and remediations to men’s sexualized violence. This link will take you to step by step how to organize.
What are Walk Events?
Why men in women’s high-heeled shoes? We ask men to walk in women’s high-heeled shoes to actively confront gender stereotypes and expectations. In this space of playful confrontation and openness, it’s possible to reveal and consider many of the underlying causes of men’s sexualized violence with less defensiveness and denial.
Why Men in Women’s Shoes?
There is an old saying: “You can’t understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” To get people listening, learning, and talking, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® education Events organize around men literally walking one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes. It’s not easy walking in these shoes, but it’s an experience around which a lot of education, self-reflection, and change happens. It’s impressive to see such a visually stunning public statement of listening, learning, allyship, and commitment. It’s an engaging event that gets the community talking about sex and gender biases, gender identity, gender relations, and men’s sexualized violence.
Brides March
The Gladys Ricart and Victims of Domestic Violence Memorial Walk began in 2001 in New York City. Gladys Ricart was murdered on September 26, 1999, by her abusive former boyfriend on the day she was to marry her fiancé. Each year marchers walk in wedding dresses or all white to remember her and the many others killed by domestic violence. Learn more about the Brides March.
Empty Place at the Table
A dinner table is set with an empty place for each person lost to domestic violence, often with a card on each plate telling that person’s story. Colleges, libraries and community groups set up the table for a day or for the whole month of October.
National SAF-T Day
SAF-T stands for Sheltering Animals & Families Together. National SAF-T Day, held on the first Saturday in October, raises awareness of the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. Many people stay with an abuser because they cannot take their pets, so SAF-T helps shelters make room for survivors’ animals too.
More ways to help: Wear it or show it · Make something · Remember · All ideas