UH West O‘ahu community to “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” in honor of sex assault awareness month

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 689-2604
Public Info Officer, Communications Department
Posted: Mar 28, 2016

UH West O'ahu students, faculty and staff don high heels and “walk a mile” on the UHWO campus.
UH West O'ahu students, faculty and staff don high heels and “walk a mile” on the UHWO campus.

KAPOLEI --- In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April, the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu campus community will participate in an event for “Walk a Mile,” the international march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence. UH West Oʻahu students, faculty and staff will participate in a playful walk around the campus, many wearing women’s high-heeled shoes or decorated slippers, to demonstrate support for efforts to stop the violence.

The walk is meant to put participants literally “in someone else’s shoes” as a show of support and solidarity behind the goal of ending sexualized violence. “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” at UH West Oʻahu will happen at 12:25 p.m. and again at 1:55 p.m. on April 6 starting in the UHWO Courtyard. A supply of men’s and women’s shoes will be available for participants’ use during the march.

The event is free and open to the public. All community groups, businesses, and organizations are encouraged to attend. “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” will also feature interactive displays and community organizations sharing resources and information about sexual assault prevention from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the UH West Oʻahu Courtyard.

For more information, contact Rouel Velasco at rouel@hawaii.edu.

Established in 1976, the University of Hawaiʻi - West O‘ahu is an indigenous-serving institution that offers quality education, small class sizes, and personalized attention. UH West O‘ahu has the newest bachelor's degree-granting campus in the University of Hawaiʻi System, serving approximately 2,700 students with academic programs that emphasize interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies. UH West Oʻahu commemorates its 40th anniversary in 2016. For more information, visit www.uhwo.hawaii.edu, call (808) 689-2800 or toll-free (866) 299-8656. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.