Men of Honolulu Community College are "on the march" to stop violence

Men will wear women's high heels in a march around campus on April 7

Honolulu Community College
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Posted: Apr 6, 2010

HONOLULU – The men of Honolulu Community College, led by students from the carpentry, auto body and automotive mechanics programs, are joining forces to make a stand against violence against women. These students from predominantly male occupations are asking everyone to stand up and respond to situations involving gender violence, sexual harassment and prevention by joining their march on Wednesday, April 7, at noon at Honolulu CC.
 
They will be joined by deans, campus leaders, students, women and children in a mile march through the center of the campus circling around and down Dillingham Boulevard in an effort to empower and encourage bystanders to do the "unpopular" and stand up to violence. To add emphasis to the march, the men will be wearing women's high heels. The inspiration for wearing high heels stems from the old saying, "you can't understand a person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes.”
 
A short pre-march rally will kick off the event. Several speakers will share their personal domestic violence experiences and others will simply speak about the dangers of rape, sexual assault and gender violence.
 
On-site registration starts at 11 a.m. Men, women, and children are invited to participate. High heels in all sizes will be available to those who register in advance and don't have their own shoes. Marchers are encouraged to bring their own if they have them, and donations of shoes will be accepted.
 
Mental health counselor Kimberley Gallant says that one in six women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. College-aged women are four times more likely to be assaulted and that is why the march is taking place on campus.
 
Honolulu Community College's United Against Violence Taskforce is organizing the event to raise awareness and get people talking about this serious issue. The men of Honolulu Community College want the community to know that they are sincerely dedicated to violence prevention and safety. The march is part of a national program to highlight April as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month." One in three women has experienced gender violence in her lifetime, and a woman is raped every 90 seconds in America.
 
For more information about the event, visit www.honolulu.hawaii.edu.