On April 21, men, women, and children will come together to raise awareness in the Whitewater community about the causes and effects of sexual and domestic violence.

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes (WAM) is an international men’s march to raise awareness and bring a stop to rape, sexual assault, and gender violence.

People Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse (PADA) Director Amy O’Neil said that crisis calls from the Whitewater area were up last year.

“Specifically they were up in the sexual assault crisis calls that we received,” O’Neil said. “We received just shy of 50 calls from the area and about half were sexual assaults. The fact that it has grown so much in the past couple of years is a concern.”

University Health and Counseling Services is partnering with PADA to host the event. Sexual assault and relationship violence in the 18 to 24-year-old age group is most vulnerable to happen, according to O’Neil.

The event will present an educational opportunity for prevention of these kinds of gender-based violence.

Holli Zambrowicz, graduate assistant for Wellness Services, said sexual and domestic violence is pretty common.

“It’s not talked about as much as it should be,” Zambrowicz said. “It’s really a way for us to raise awareness and education about the issues.”

Men will literally be walking a mile in women’s high-heeled shoes to bring knowledge, understanding, and educate others about sexual violence, of which women are the primary victims.

The main message is “Together Men and The Community March To Stop Violence.”

“It’s especially important to have men, and young men involved so they can take a stand and emphasize that this isn’t right,” O’Neil said.

It is not required, but encouraged, for the men to wear women’s shoes, but if it is not possible, participants can wear regular walking shoes and are then urged to sponsor someone who will be.

Zambrowicz said it is a community issue, not just the issue of someone who has been victimized or the issue of someone who perpetrates violence and that it affects everyone.

“When people think of rape and sexual assault, they tend to think of it as a women’s issue, but it’s not,” Zambrowicz said. “Most of the time it is men doing the raping and the violence.

“We really wanted to get men involved in this and let them know they have roles in this too. Even if they don’t directly do it, by talking about it with their friends, they can set good attitudes towards the treatment of women.”

The walking route is approximately one mile long on the UW-Whitewater campus.

“If you grow up in a home witnessing violence you’re going to grow up and be more likely to perpetrate or be a victim of violence,” O’Neil said. “It’s an effort to stop not only the generational cycle but also to cut it at the path.

“By talking about it, by putting it out there, and not letting it be the dirty little secret, it creates an opportunity to stop it all from continuing to happen.”

All of the money raised will profit PADA, which is a local organization helping victims and survivors as well as educating the community. If participation is not possible, donations can be made.

All donations are tax deductible and are used in the Whitewater community to help make every home a safe place.

“We want to have more of a presence in the area,” O’Neil said. “Whitewater is unique in that the campus is split between the two counties so the Jefferson and Walworth county [PADA] agencies work collaboratively on campus.”

“The T-shirts are designed by Jefferson High School students,” O’Neil said. “For the past three years [PADA] has held a competition for their art class. The winner’s design will be used for the T-shirts.”

The event will bring the community together in a fun and active way to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence and the implications violence has on the community.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. April 21. The walk will start at 11 a.m. at the University Center’s Summers Auditorium and end at 11:30 a.m.