Dallas, Texas -- Gentlemen, it’s time once again to slip on a pair of women’s high-heeled shoes and take a stance against sexualized violence. The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) will host a “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes®” event Friday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the university campus (located in southern Dallas at 7300 University Hills Blvd., Dallas, TX 75241).
The public is invited to participate or attend the free event, which is part of UNT Dallas’ Student Affairs homecoming festivities. Registration is through a QR code.
Since 2001, men, women and families around the world have joined the award-winning “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes®: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence” to raise awareness about the serious causes, effects and remediations to men’s sexualized violence.
“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” is sponsored by the UNT Dallas Counseling and Wellness Center, the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
UNT Dallas expects dozens of students, faculty and staff, and local men to tackle the 5,280-foot challenge by walking a mile along a designated path around the campus, (starting in front of the UNT Dallas Student Center) in high-heeled shoes provided by the organizers. If preferred, participants may bring their own heels, which can be donated afterwards to Hope’s Door New Beginnings, a local agency in Dallas dedicated to eradicating domestic violence and supporting survivors and their children.
“Domestic and gender-based violence impacts far too many lives – often in ways that remain unseen,” said Dr. Allison Tomlinson, PhD, LCSW-S, director of the Counseling and Wellness Center at UNT Dallas. “Events like Walk A Mile in Her Shoes bring these issues out of the shadows, reminding us that awareness and education are the first steps toward prevention. As a university community, we’re committed to breaking cycles of silence, empowering survivors and ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and support they need to heal and thrive.”
Tomlinson added that the UNT Dallas community includes many students facing domestic violence in their own homes and that “we have a responsibility to our fellow Trailblazers to speak up and get involved.
Everyone is invited to participate or attend and cheer on family, colleagues and friends. For more information about the organization, go to WalkAMileInHerShoes.org. If you have questions regarding the UNT Dallas event, please contact Dr. Allison Tomlinson at allison.tomlinson@untdallas.edu.
