The Laurel Center Intervention for Domestic and Sexual Violence presents the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence in Winchester, VA.  The event will be held on April 24, 2021 on the downtown pedestrian mall.  The event will start at Brewbaker’s on the mall.  The walk begins at 1:00 pm.  An after-party and awards ceremony will follow the walk at Brewbaker’s. There is no registration fee but donations are accepted.

The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® Event is a playful opportunity for men to raise awareness in the community about the serious causes, effects and remediation to men’s sexualized violence against women. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® asks men to literally walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes.  We are recruiting men because sexualized violence does not just affect women.  It affects YOU, because it affects the women in your families, your friends, your coworkers, and your communities. Sexualized violence is an epidemic. One in six American women are victims of sexual assault. That means someone you know or you care about, has been or may become the victim of sexual violence.  

A Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® Event is abundant with opportunities to get people talking. For preventive education, it helps men better understand and appreciate women’s experiences, thus changing perspectives, helping improve gender relationships and decreasing the potential for violence. For healing, it informs the community that services are available for recovery. It demonstrates that men are willing and able to be courageous partners with women in making the world a safer place.

Everyone is encouraged to walk – men, women, students, and children.  Walk in heels, walk in women’s flats, or walk with a sign. No matter which way you choose to walk; walk with a purpose.

For the past 22 years, the Denim Day international campaign has been an inspiring and powerful opportunity to practice solidarity and support survivors by renewing our commitment to exposing harmful behaviors and attitudes surrounding sexual violence.

The campaign began after a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped the person who raped her remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.

What started as a local campaign to bring awareness to victim blaming and destructive myths that surround sexual violence has grown into a movement. Denim Day asks community members, elected officials, businesses and students to make a social statement by wearing jeans on this day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence.

Our staff is available to visit your business to provide information on Denim Day and the many services and programs The Laurel Center offers for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence in our community. Please support Denim Day and encourage your employees to join us in supporting our vision of working together in our community to stop the cycle of domestic and sexual violence. If you have questions or would like to schedule a presentation, please contact 540-667-6160 or j.shiffler@tlc.ngo.