THERE were a few sore feet as men in Burnley donned stilettos to raise awareness of domestic violence and funds for the town’s women’s refuge.
The Heels Walk aimed to show men what it is like to ‘walk in a woman’s shoes’ for just a few hours, and encourage them to engage with the issues of violence against women and girls.
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The event took place on Friday as part of 16 days of action around the White Ribbon campaign against domestic violence.
It was organised by staff from the Inspire-CRI substance misuse service and Burnley Council, who were joined by representatives from other local organisations on the one-mile sponsored walk.
Participants set off from Inspire’s base at Burnley House, Westgate, and staff and service users from Inspire and their partners joined in, along with other agencies in Burnley working to tackle domestic violence.
The group of men and women carried white flag banners, and paired their heels with T-shirts they had decorated themselves with anti-domestic violence slogans.
The walk took them along Westgate and St James Street, into Burnley town centre, and back to Burnley House for refreshments – and to rest their aching ankles.
Jackie McVan, project manager at CRI Inspire said: “Everyone deserves to live their lives without fear of physical or mental abuse and it is now more important than ever to raise awareness of preventative measures.
“We are proud to have had so many people participate at Inspire in the campaign to raise awareness of this issue.”
The White Ribbon campaign’s 16 days of action started on November 25, and will continue until Thursday.
The campaign is the largest global effort of men working to end male violence against women.
Wearing a White Ribbon is a personal pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.
Louise Howorth, Burnley Council’s domestic violence co-ordinator, said: “A wide range of partners are working all year round to tackle the serious issue of domestic violence across our borough.
“ A lot of work goes on behind the scenes, given the sensitive nature of the issue.
“However, it is important to take part in campaigns such as this which bring the issue of domestic violence into the forefront of people’s minds. I’d encourage men to wear their white ribbon and sign up to the pledge.”
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