Ugandan police strut in heels to support victims of gender violence – VIDEO
Ugandan Police officers have over the years gained the reputation of being rough and tough – especially when quelling demonstrations.
But a group of the men in uniform showed their softer side a few weeks ago by walking around the city in high heels to advocate for an end to violence against women.
The event, dubbed “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”, was organized by Uganda’s Gender Ministry and a host of stakeholders as part of an international campaign to raise awareness on gender-based violence.
The policemen were joined by civilian men who on top of wearing the stilettos carried baskets on their heads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tcvPwnKZmk
“I realized it is very difficult to walk in high heels, the ones I wore got torn, the heels were breaking, I almost gave up,” said one of the participants.
“I had to take a bodaboda to go the rest of the way, it is not easy to walk with these shoes of women, I have seen for myself that it is hard,” said Francis Ongweng, a police officer in the Family and Protection of Child Unit.
The Uganda bureau of statistics had reported that close to 70 percent of married women aged 15 to 49 had experienced some form of violence.