By Victoria Olayiwola
The Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event is a national movement across high schools and colleges and serves as a wake-up call to stand against the uprising of sexual assaults and offer protection to the victims.
This can be achieved by raising awareness for the causes, effects and remedies for sexual assault and gender violence, and to also raise funds to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The men who participate walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes to actively confront gender stereotypes and societal expectations. Even though it is not easy to walk around in these shoes, this action allows for self-reflections and self-examinations of actions and decisions.
YSU’s Interfraternity Council, which is a local governing body for National Interfraternity Conference fraternity chapters, helps to provide educational programs on a variety of topics to fraternity chapters while also giving administrative guidance for policy, procedure and recruitment.
In addition to all the responsibilities of the IFC, they take part in the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event annually to carry out both aims of fundraising and awareness. The officers of the IFC help to formulate the specifics for each year.
Ian Ward, the vice president of recruitment for IFC, stated this year’s goal.
“We plan to raise money from local businesses and donate all proceeds to the Young Women’s Christian Association,” he said.
The YWCA is an organization that helps to empower women, develop youth and eliminate racism in society.
Ian Ward also spoke about the participants every year at YSU.
“Regardless of the title of the event, not only men are allowed to participate nationally. However, at YSU, the participants are solely men so that they can truly ‘walk a mile in her shoes,’ so to speak,” he said.
Jeremy DeMarco, president of Alpha Phi Delta, gave an estimate of the number of people involved in this year’s event.
“I would say over 200 participants would be present for the event this year,” he said.
Those interested in participating should contact the IFC via email or Instagram for the link to register. Participants get a free ticket for admission, a red high-heel rental, a T-shirt and basket raffle tickets. Tickets are limited.
This event takes place every year in April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and this year, the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event is going to take place from 4-7 p.m. April 22 at Watson and Tressel Training Site.