Some of them were a little wonky. Some outshone their female counterparts. But all the men wore smiles. And eye-catching red high heels.
On Saturday (July 5), 39 men strutted down Cleveland Avenue in their pumps. They all took part in the sixth annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event hosted by the Howe Sound Women’s Centre Society. The walk is a fundraiser for the organization and encourages the community to stand up for the prevention of violence against women.
“Each man participating in the event has his own reasons for walking, and collectively, it demonstrates that men from our community believe that all people should have the basic human right to live free from violence, oppression, and abuse,” said Sheila Allen, executive director of the Howe Sound Women’s Centre Society.
This year’s event generated $6,000 for the organization. Prizes were awarded to some of the top fundraisers, including Squamish Fire Rescue as an organization, and Robert Stubbs as an individual. Olympic half pipe skier Rosalind Groenewoud was on hand to provide coaching tips on how best to walk in women’s shoes, and as the men teetered en masse through the Farmers’ Market they could be seen sporting sport socks and nylons for added comfort.
The Howe Sound Women’s Centre has been serving the Sea to Sky community for 32 years. The centre is focused on supporting women, children and youth who are in need of emergency shelter, support, referrals and advocacy, and in particular, those who are experiencing high conflict, violence or abuse.
“Reports of violent crimes against women and girls are on the rise, both locally and internationally,” Allen said. “To end gender violence once and for all, we feel it is essential to engage men to be part of the solution. And that’s really what the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event is all about.”
The money raised from the walk will go toward funding continued operations of the Squamish Women’s Drop-In Centre.
