Madera men walk in heels to fight sexual violence
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune A group of participants wear women’s shoes during the annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event, a Men’s March Against Sexual Assault, at Courthouse Park on Friday evening.
Motorists passing by Memorial Courthouse Park were greeted by the sight of men in high heels and pumps, carrying signs against sexual assault during the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event Friday evening.
The walk, put on by Community Action Partnership of Madera County, saw approximately 100 people participate, including children, taking a mile-long march around the courthouse and the park. The aim of these walkers, according to the partnership’s program manager for victims’ services Tina Rodriguez, was to raise awareness to sexual assault and other acts of violence against women.
“The goal is to engage men and being part of the solution to end sexual violence,” Rodriguez said. “And how they do that is they come out, they participate in the mile-long march with messages geared towards decreasing the likelihood of sexual violence.”
“(We’re) trying to make people aware that it’s wrong and somehow, we need to stop it,” said participant Bill Frame, an IT analyst at Community Action Partnership. “If I had the answer, I wouldn’t be walking — I’d be solving the problem.
Another event, Denim Day, in which participants wear denim pins to speak out against rape and sexual assault, has been scheduled for today.
