PUHI — Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel exchanged their work boots for high heels along with a representative from the County’s Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Friday at the Kaua‘i Community College One Stop Center. Mark Bonilla, a second year student
PUHI — Kaua‘i Fire Department personnel exchanged their work boots for high heels along with a representative from the County’s Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Friday at the Kaua‘i Community College One Stop Center.
Mark Bonilla, a second year student at KCC, also exchanged his pair of shoes for bright red high heels as he briefed a group of students to be cheerleaders during the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes Domestic Violence Awareness Week event.
Several dozen people representing the county, KCC and students took the message out in a walk around a pre-designated route around the campus.
“The students have been studying and working through various projects throughout the week on domestic violence,” KCC student advisor John Constantino said. “Today’s event is a culmination of all the work the students have been doing, especially in the area of violence against women.”
Joining the group of several dozen people, the YWCA Kaua‘i hosted a table filled with informative literature on domestic violence and sexual assault.
Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted, states a mayoral proclamation read by County Attorney Al Castillo, representing Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., announcing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“The focus of this event is for men to understand how serious this problem is,” Constantino said.
KCC Chancellor Helen Cox agreed.
“While you’re walking through this campus in your high heels and you’re uncomfortable, this is what women go through daily,” Cox said. “They will continue to suffer until this problem is eliminated.”
We must work together to educate our entire population about what can be done to educate and prevent sexual assault, support survivors and victims alike, to ensure they are given the help they need to ensure they are not re-victimized, the proclamation states.
The 2011 national Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign explores common, everyday behaviors and offers individuals viable and responsible ways to intervene, states the Sexual Assault Awareness Month website.
Visit www.nsvrc.org/saam for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
