SUNNYSIDE, Wash.- “You don’t know a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” The age old saying came to life in Sunnyside as men put on one-inch-tall high heels to walk a mile along the Yakima Valley Highway.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and with the help of The Lighthouse, the group got a glimpse of everyday life as a woman.
“This event is specifically to get people talking about the prevalence of sexual assault in our communities because it does happen,” says Leticia Garcia, Executive Director of the Lighthouse. “We work with survivors every single day who have gone through an experience such as this.”
Men such as Bob Widmann were asked to put on the heels and walk a mile in her shoes. While this year wasn’t his first time at the dance, he’s always hoping to use it as a platform.
“To me, it’s just trying to make a statement that sexual assault is a big deal worldwide,” says Widmann. “It’s a big problem in our country and in our world.”
According to the Support, Advocacy and Resource Center (SARC), one in three girls and one in five boys are sexually assaulted before they turn 16.
SARC reports one in three American women will be assaulted in their life.
“We’re all deserving of living a life that is healthy and free from violence,” says Garcia. “So for men to help us, talk to the community about the effect this can have on a community.”
Garcia says the Lighthouse supports victims that comes to them and will offer any kind of support needed. She says her staff knows the feeling assault and violence can bring all too well.
“Many of the folks that are here, they might have been victims themselves,” says Garcia. “This is their way to support an organization that does this work, but it’s also part of their healing journey.”
Staff from the Lighthouse walked with Widmann and the men along the mile. Not only pushing them along but teaching them how to walk in heels.
“Probably almost halfway through, it was starting to hurt a lot,” says Widmann. “But I was going to push it and I made it to the end.”
The experience of walking in her shoes is an eye-opening adventure according to the participants. Though some came prepared with bandages, it only showed them the strength women have on a daily basis.
“I don’t see any fun in wearing heels,” says Widmann. “Women that wear them, more power to them.”
