And this is feminist because....?

[QOFE]

I've just seen this linked on a local feminist group.

100 men are going to go for a walk round a city centre wearing womens shoes to "raise awareness of violence against women" (personally I'd rather they named it and said MALE VIOLENCE huh?).

But they want women to provide them with shoes

C'mon women, dress up the menfolk in your shoes so they can raise awareness of something we've been complaining about since fucking forever without even naming the real problem

Maybe I'm a mean spirited old curmudgeon but it's really grated my cheese

Why can't they pay for their own shoes as part of the price of taking part? Or wear shoes that are too small? The whole idea seems wrong headed to me. Are they raising money by doing this?

It is pandering to the media. A picture of hulking hairy-arsed blokes in high heels will get into the paper.

The problem is with the media that won’t treat a protest against male violence as newsworthy unless it has some sort of angle like this.

YY to pandering to the media. Makes me sick.

Nope no money being raised. Just "awareness".

It is a little ill-thought-out. How many women will own shoes that most men can fit into? Probably only a small overlap in shoe sizes!

The people on this board really will moan about anything. You moan when men don't care. You moan when they do care.

Ha! I'm delighted that they care. Just a little baffled as to why asking women to give them shoes to go for a walk in is helpful to anyone?

This isn't caring, it's a token gesture that they think is entertaining. It's patronising and belittling. The idea that walking in high heels for a mile is anything to do with women's experience of male violence is a nonsense.

FFS the thickos really are out in force today.

I'm very happy they care @Alittlepotofrosie. I don't think they should be asking women to help fund them demonstrate that. I wasn't wearing high heels when I was raped either

If a woman had size 8 or bigger she would have to go to great pains to find decent footwear
I doubt she would be donating them to a bunch of men

I have size 8 feet but i never wear heels so can't help out. I think the Walk a mile in her shoes is an american invention. The white ribbon campaign itself is interesting. I know we have events connected to it in our town (near cardiff) but didn't realise it was men working towards ending violence again women. My female friend who works for the Domestic Abuse team organises it.

With "ladies shoes" I guess they mean pointy toed, high heels right?

I don't even own any of those. How sexist of them to assume all women wear heels. This is supposed to end male violence, by assuming all women act/dress alike? Isn't that how the problem got started in the first place, because men can't see women as individual human beings who are entitled to make their own decisions?

Am I off track thinking the symbolism is 'walk in her shoes' ?
I don't know, a start maybe?

Now I've looked at the White Ribbon Campaign website I'm less annoyed but more baffled. The website looks very good and I really like what they're saying... so why the fuck this stupid high heels awareness bullshit?

Any publicity is good publicity?

From the website...

"White Ribbon Campaign UK is part of a global movement to put a stop to male violence against women and girls.

This is not and never has been a "women's issue". We address men directly - so they understand the scale of the problem, and become part of the solution, alongside women.

Men and boys have a crucial role to play in creating a culture where male violence, abuse and harassment against women and girls are simply seen as unacceptable. We support them to take a stand against gender violence in their workplaces, schools, communities and families.

We are not anti-male – this is about creating space for more positive, healthy ways of being a man. We know most men are opposed to violence against women and girls. And we know that restrictive gender roles harm men as well as women, boys as well as girls. So let's make our voices heard!"

I like the sound of the campaign. I still hate the appeal to women for shoes.

Where does it say high heels? It just says ladies shoes doesn't it?

I think it’s along the lines of ‘walk a mile in my shoes’? Although I get the point that there aren’t lots of women who have shoes that would fit most men

'walk in her shoes' whose shoes? Not mine. I don't wear high heels, and if I did I'd not walk a mile in them if I could avoid it.

It's almost as bad as those men insisting on dressing up as grotesque Carry On nurse caricatures to raise money for a hospital, even when the hospital said it didn't want them to do that.

That's so strange, how many women with size 8 and up feet will have shoes they're willing to hand over?

I mean, asking them to give their shoes to men so men can make a point is a bit wierd. The women will be in exactly the same boat but with less shoes.

Oh sorry the high heels is from the accompanying image on FB that I forgot to post

The charity shop can provide shoes? All the women I know who wear 8/9 do not wear heels!

I think it will appeal to fetishists.

I also immensely dislike the assumption "women's shoes" are high heels. I'm already annoyed by the pressure on women and girls to wear heels in certain situations and this suggests they're what all women would choose. I've heard of the campaign before and always thought very positively about them so am sure they mean very well but it's irksome.

DP and I have matching black para boots as every day footwear. Well not quite matching because his have steel toe caps due to him working with heavy stuff and hot metal, and steelies hurt my toes so I have German army ones that are all soft cushioned leather inside. So even if I wanted to lend them some shoes I doubt mine would make enough of a statement

They can't do right for doing wrong, can they? Can't you just appreciate the gesture?