KANSAS CITY, Mo. – They’re turning in their comfy shoes for a pair of heeled, even sparkly pumps. Men at UMKC’s campus walked a mile in those heels to stop violence against women.
“It gets men involved. We’re not going to end violence against women without getting men involved,” said Brenda Bethman, the Director of the Women’s Center at UMKC.
This annual event raises money for the campus’ violence prevention and response project. That project’s cause got a boost from the White House this week, as federal administrators announced the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.
It’s supposed to provide guidelines and training to stop sexual assault before it happens and training for how to deal with someone who has been sexually assaulted.
“It’s been hard sometimes to get the attention so it’s nice to have a level of attention that that brings with it,” said Bethman.
Bethman said in 2013 her center helped 73 people on campus, and seven years ago it helped less than five in a year.
