反对家暴:多伦多男士穿高跟鞋游行
爱思英语编者按:加拿大城市每年都要举办“穿上她的鞋走一英里”的慈善活动,今年已是第五年。活动组织者告诫所有参与者要“带好创可贴”,以防被新买的高跟鞋磨破皮。 Hundreds of men donned high heels and teetered around Toronto on Thursday to help raise awareness of violence against women. Organizers of the annual charity event Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, now in its fifth year in the Canadian city, warned all participants to 'bring band aids' to stop their newly-acquired stilettos from rubbing. Spectators uploaded photographs of the spectacle to Twitter, showing men wobbling along the mile-long course wearing everything from neon pink court shoes to chunky platforms. Some even chose to compliment their new look with stockings and handbags. Andrew Kinnear, vice president of marketing firm Environics Communications, told cp24.com that it was his fourth Walk A Mile in Her Shoes. For the occasion, he picked out a pair of 'practical brown heels'. Mr Kinnear says he takes part because he can't imagine the women in his life experiencing any emotion or physical abuse, and to be a positive influence on his son. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The International Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence was started in California in 2001. The attention-grabbing scene of men wearing women's shoes was designed to create a dialogue about an issue that is often hidden from public view and forgotten about as a result. In 2009 the event spread to Toronto where it has since raised around $400,000. Todd Minerson who helped to organize the event and serves as the executive director of White Ribbon, one of the largest men's anti-violence programs, says there were almost 1,000 walkers from as young as 11 to as old as 70 in last year's walk. The goal this year is to raise $125,000 to fund programs that help men and boys understand the issue of violence against women in Canada. Mr Minerson said they ask men and boys to put on women's shoes because 'it's a fun way for them to experience
and understand the different ways women experience the world.' The discomfort in the heels allows them to understand that there are many other things that must be different for women as well, Mr Minerson added. According to the Domestic Violence Resource Center, one in four women has experienced domestic violence at the hands of their husband or boyfriend. It also reveals that, on average, more than three women are murdered by their intimate partners in the U.S. every day. Founder of the movement, Frank Baird, also believes that although the immediate victims are women, the fallout from an attack is not exclusive to them. 'Violence against women does not just affect women.' he says on his website. 'Men are hurt and angered when they try to develop relationships with women in an atmosphere of fear and mistrust and blame.' |