Girl Gains and UM’s National Council of Negro Women will lace up — or heel up — for a “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” on Saturday, March 21 from noon to 1 p.m.
The campus-wide walk taking place from Mahoney-Pearson to the Cox Science Building will support the women of Lotus House Women’s Shelter in Overtown.
Participants can donate professional clothing and everyday shoes to the shelter at the event. The donations help Lotus House, the largest women’s homeless shelter in the country, continue to promote self-sufficiency and empowerment in their residents.
The Miami-based organization also provides housing, resources and support services to women and children experiencing homelessness, making each donated item a tangible extension of the walk itself.
Girl Gains, a student organization that promotes women’s empowerment through fitness and community-building events, sees this collaboration as an opportunity to extend its mission beyond the gym.
By partnering with NCNW, the event bridges advocacy, service and student engagement.
“This collaboration lets our members show up, learn, and stand beside an organization actively fighting for safety, dignity, and opportunity for women,” Amanda Drobes, the president of Girl Gains, said.
The walk is designed to be a public demonstration of solidarity with all participants encouraged to wear purple and, for those willing, to do the walk in heels.
The dress code carries a serious message: walking in someone else’s shoes, even symbolically, can make participants and passerbyers think about barriers many women face every day.
“[Wearing heels can] create a small sense of imbalance and awareness, and even a short walk becomes noticeably harder,” Drobes said. “That physical experience helps people better understand how many women move through public spaces with extra caution every day.”
“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” blends awareness with action. It invites students to step outside their routines, connect with other campus organizations and contribute to a local cause in a tangible way.
Whether you donate a pair of flats or show up in purple, the message is simple: walk with purpose.
“From a Girl Gains perspective, empowerment isn’t only about confidence in fitness,” Drobes said. “It’s about creating an environment where women feel comfortable, respected and able to exist without fear.”