People and Community

Pumped to Take a Stand

Participants of the ninth annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event on campus pledge to help end sexual violence against women.
men in red heels
Male students, faculty, and staff walk in red pumps to raise awareness of violnece against women.

“It is definitely painful, but it is not as painful as the experiences that many women have gone through,” senior Francesco Sautto, a Counseling Outreach Peer Educator (COPE), said after walking around campus in bright red pumps as a part of the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, an international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender violence.

At the ninth annual campus event, organized by the University of Miami Counseling Center at The Rock on April 12, male students, faculty, and staff strutted in high heels to raise awareness about violence against women. Event partners—such as the Sexual Assault Resource Team, It’s On US, the UM Police Department, and the Roxcy Bolton Rape Treatment Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital—hosted informational tables for students to learn about local resources for sexual assault and gender violence. This year, the Counseling Center also partnered with the Interfraternity Council to engage and emphasize support among male Greek life participants.

Guest speakers Karen Hansen and Laura Rachlin, founders of handbag and accessories company Wren & Roch, shared their compelling stories about personal experiences as survivors of rape and domestic violence, challenging attendees to think twice about the way they view abuse and the dangers of rape culture on college campuses.

Attendees also recited together a powerful pledge to end sexual violence, including a promise to not be a bystander and to challenge images of violence against women.