MEMPHIS, Tenn — Hundreds took to the streets Tuesday afternoon to support survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and other gender-based violent crimes.
It has been over a year since the abduction of Eliza Fletcher, and the awareness event started right around the corner from where she was taken.
Walk A Mile in Her Shoes is hosted by the Memphis Women’s Area Council, with executive director Deborah Clubb leading the charge in hopes it brings more awareness to gender-based violence each time.
“We’ve been holding this 12 times in Memphis to give men and boys a chance and an invitation to come walk with women and girls toward ending all the kinds of violence that are particularly a terror for women and girls,” Clubb said.
Male University of Memphis students, like Anthony Miller and Bishar Ahmed, took the opportunity to get all their friends involved.
“I feel like this will just help everybody see that it’s very important, and I also love that we have all the guys out here with the heels on because it's actually a very big message,” Miller said.
Ahmed was there to speak up for an unspoken issue in Memphis and around the country.
“Sexual harassment is one of the problems that we don’t talk about enough,” Ahmed said. “We’re just out here to support the women in our lives and even the women that don’t even know us,”
Clubb said she wants women to be as comfortable out in the world as their counterparts.
“Why do we have to be scared of going out at night or even stopping at the gas station during the day or running for recreation?” she said.
Students are hopeful future generations will better understand gender-based violence and speak out when they see it.
“Hopefully, the word spreads out, and they teach their kids, they teach their siblings, their loved ones what to do and what not to do, especially when it comes down to sexual harassment,” Ahmed said.