These boots were made for walking

Now that the rain has stopped, are you looking for something fun to do outside while also making social change in your community? I thought you might be! Well, you're in luck. Here are a couple of events in Butler and Hamilton Counties that you can enjoy while also raising awareness of sexual violence in our community:

Friday, April 29, 2011: Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. What could be better than men, high-heeled shoes, and a half mile track? Put them all together and you get Walk a Mile--an event emphasizing healthy gender relations in which men "walk a mile in her shoes"--literally. You can attend the mile walk at Cook Field on Miami University's Oxford campus tomorrow at 4 p.m., followed by a high-heeled sprint at 5 p.m. Look for me at Butler County Rape Crisis Program's table!

Friday, April 29, 2011: Take Back the Night. If you live in the Cincinnati/NKY area, then perhaps you would enjoy walking with your sisters in solidarity at the Take Back the Night march. Rally at Sawyer Point at 6:30, then take the march across the Taylor Southgate Bridge to the Millenium Peace Bell in Newport, KY. The event empowers women to take back the night by not walking in fear of sexual violence or victimization. This year marks the 22nd annual TBTN march, hosted by Women Helping Women.

I know what you're thinking--sexual violence isn't really my cup of tea. Well, duh. But if we stay silent and keep pretending it isn't real and doesn't happen in our community, then more women will continue to suffer in silence. So tomorrow, stand up for your sisters, your mother, your friends, your aunt--for yourself! Together we can make social change.