Men walk along Route 255 in front of campus in high heels for the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event to raise awareness of sexual violence and abuse.
DUBOIS, Pa. — Nearly 40 men from Penn State DuBois stepped into high heels on Wednesday, Sept. 27, for the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event. The men's march is meant to raise awareness of the battle against rape, sexual assault and gender violence, and to get more men involved in the fight.
The event was organized by the victim advocacy group Passages of Clarion, Clearfield and Jefferson Counties, in conjunction with the Penn State DuBois Office of Student Engagement.
The men marched through campus, as well as off campus, along Route 255, and down Liberty Boulevard, then back. The round trip added up to the men walking a full mile in their pumps.
"While you walk today, you are demonstrating that there is no place for abuse here at Penn State DuBois," Student Government Association member Carter Wood told the men participating in the walk. "So, keep in mind while you're out there that there's no excuse for abuse."
Those who walked felt confident that their efforts would help to raise awareness of abuse.
"I don't agree with violence against anyone," student Alex Davis said. "This is helpful because it does draw attention; it's out there. How often do you see a bunch of dudes in heels walking down the main strip in DuBois?"
"Especially in smaller communities like this, where we all know each other," added fellow student Ryan Lingle. "It's important to have awareness of these issues and to help raise that awareness for our neighbors."
According to Passages, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their lives.
