In September 2016, hundreds of staff and supporters across the Harcourts network will be walking down a different path and joining forces with White Ribbon Australia to take a stand against violence.
Last year, nearly 800 Harcourts staff, family, friends and supporters across Australia “walked a mile” in women’s heels to show solidarity and bring attention to the national tragedy that is violence against women.
“Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” is an education and fundraising campaign led by the Harcourts Foundation in partnership with Harcourts Group Australia to increase public awareness of the impact of violence against women in Australia. All proceeds raised will be donated to White Ribbon’s “Breaking the Silence” program in primary and secondary schools across Australia, aimed at creating generational change in attitudes toward violence.
Some local offices, such as Landmark Harcourts Mansfield, are going a step further to raise awareness and funding with extra events.
“It’s a really important issue, so we’re working with the local community to encourage involvement,” says director Dean Shipley. Along with son Jack and wife Tracey, both of whom are involved in the business, he will be promoting the event during local football matches with some friendly competitions.
Increased awareness is one of the key goals of the Walk a Mile event. In Australia, one woman is killed by a former or current partner every week on average, and one in three women has experienced physical or sexual assault in her lifetime.
This year’s “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” will be held across Australia on Friday 2nd September, with all participants encouraged to wear heels and “walk a mile” along a designated public route, to raise our goal of $100,000 for White Ribbon Australia nationally.
To find out more information, make a donation, or pledge your support, visit the Walk a Mile MyCause page.