It’s a hell of a thing walking into a store and asking to try on women’s high-heeled shoes. If you’re a man, that is.
You surely must have guts, a sense of humour and a powerful motivation.
Dave McKenzie had all three when he set aside potential embarrassment recently for a good cause.
McKenzie is one of many men – it is hoped – who will be tottering around the IGA parking lot between noon and 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, raising awareness about violence against women.
Others reportedly include Barrhead Mayor Brian Schulz, RCMP’s Sgt. Bob Dodds, Fire Chief John Whittaker, ambulance service personnel, bank employees and staff from Barrhead Composite High School and Barrhead Elementary.
The “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” initiative will also be a fundraiser for local prevention of family violence programs.
Similar events will be happening across Canada and in other parts of the world.
At last Monday’s meeting of Barrhead Cares Coalition, McKenzie revealed he was taking part.
“It was somewhat traumatic and I may need therapy, but for the first time in my life and I guarantee the last time in my life I walked into a Payless shoe store and bought a pair of high-heeled shoes,” he said.
One of the event organizers is Diane MacDougall, a Barrhead-based family violence prevention worker with Family and Community Support Services.
MacDougall said she had received an incredible response from the community.
“People are really pumped for the event,” she said.
As interest grows, challenges were being issued between groups, she said. For example, the Treasury Branch had dared other banks to participate, Whittaker had thrown down the gauntlet to the ambulance service, while BCHS had challenged BES to join in.
MacDougall said she had acquired 14 pairs of women’s shoes – 10-15 in men’s sizes – which could be worn by participants.
The idea was for men to race round the parking lot in five-minute relays. They will be able to hold on to shopping trolleys, something that larger men like Schulz and Sgt. Dodds may well do to retain their balance.
“The last thing we want is for anyone to get injured,” MacDougall said. “We think this is such a positive way to raise awareness about family violence.
“It is a community event and we are so proud of our men, who are standing up to stop violence against women.”
MacDougall hoped it would be a fun way to tackle a very grim subject.
In a poster advertising the event, FCSS say family violence and relationship abuse is no laughing matter.
One in two young women will have unwanted sexual advances made towards them in their lifetime; one in three boys will also have experienced inappropriate sexual contact.
“Abuse is defined as the breach of trust in a relationship that uses the forces of power and control by one person over another,” the leaflet says.
“Abuse is as subtle as the language used that demeans, demoralizes, puts down or patronizes someone or a group of people, overt and covert forms of manipulation, criticism, sarcasm, bullying, pushing, hitting and an escalation of violence that includes stalking, choking and murder.”
The leaflet says people read about tragedies of relationships gone terribly wrong and the human costs of families torn apart.
“Children who witness or experience abuse are affected profoundly and unfortunately statistics show that the cycle of violence is often repeated from one generation to the next.”
Frank Baird created a Walk A Mile In Her Shoes in 2001. What began as a small group of men tottering around a park has grown into a worldwide movement.
Tens of thousands of men raise millions of dollars for local rape crisis centres, domestic violence shelters and other sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation programs.
In 2007, Baird formed Venture Humanity, Inc, a nonprofit corporation, which promotes peace, violence prevention and community projects.
“Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” is a Venture Humanity project.
Today, Baird is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California and has a private practice in Westlake Village.
