This event for the YWCA is specifically designed to raise funds for domestic abuse and violence against women. They also have a child abuse center that deals only with abuse against children for which they also raise funds in a separate event. Seems to me the YWCA is tackling the issues straight on. Good job and I will certainly support this organization!

li713 said "they have every right to be one-sided if they want to be"
Yes, I will agree with you there, that is a good point, but if they are going to advocate for children they need to fully acknowledge
that many, many women are also abusers of children....All one has to do is read national news headlines regularly to recognize that.
No matter how you spin it, they DO make it sound like it's only women and children needing to get away from abusive men and little else.

Truth- The fear of leaving loved ones with an abuser surely happens in every domestic violence situation regardless of the gender of the abuser or the victim. The fact is that the majority of domestic violence victims ARE women and children. The YWCA only has so much available in funding and resources. In order to maximize the support they are able to provide in the community, those resources are directed at the victims most in need of help- Women & children. Please do not try to minimize the efforts of the YWCA by claiming that since they do not provide identical levels of support for men and women that somehow they are misguided in their mission, or how they raise funds to support that mission.

truth1 - No where in this article or the event information does it say anything about domestic violence only being against women. An organization, such as the Young Women's Christian Association, is certainly under no obligation to try to fight for every cause just because they want to support one. They have every right to be "one-sided" if they want to. Maybe you should call the Young Men's Christian Association and inquire about a program for male victims of domestic violence. I'm sure there are men out there that could use a support system for domestic violence situations and I bet the YMCA would be thrilled to have another volunteer on their staff. If you don't like what the YWCA is doing, don't support them, but it's pretty sad that you've chosen to dump your negativity all over this good cause just because it doesn't address the good cause you think it should.

Conveniently left out of the "discussion" was the fact that many men don't leave abusive situations becasue they would be leaving their children with an abuser.

Clark- Ok, I listened to it and heard nothing that would detract from my statements.
A cursory statement that DV is not only one-sided doesn't cut it.

Truth, please listen to the "Your Talk Show" podcast from Monday morning in which the YWCA Executive Director and organizers of this event share perspective on it's importance and the impact it has on the community and participants. I invite you to listen, and comment on if it changes your perspective on this at all. Here is a link. http://wclo.com/podcasts/your-talk-show/...

I also find it disturbing that police would attend events like this as tacit endorsement of their official capacity...One would think police work would tend much more toward intelligence work and fact-finding than attending open displays of frivolity.

...and makes women out to be "the only victims" when there are many, many women who do unjustified and harmful violence to children.

The problem is that the display itself would have the casual observer believing that domestic violence only involves men doing violence to women when that is far, far from reality.
The event may indeed address much more than that, I don't know, but I must say that the display itself, is indeed, a farce, in my opinion.
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While it may make for attention-getting spectacle, men wearing women's shoes is little other than a frivolous display that does little, if anything, to bring attention to the truly complex dynamics of violence within families and makes men out to be "the only problem".

@Truth - I disagree with your statement. This is a fundraiser and it has raised thousands of dollars since it started. Second, and more important, the event does bring to light domestic violence in Rock County. At the event last year the Milton and Janesville police chiefs discussed the increase in reports and what we can do to help reduce that number moving forward. They applauded the organization for spreading the word. I suggest stopping this Friday to hear the message. Sure, there will be silliness and fun but the cause and message is clear.

....and, actually DOING something about family violence in all its dynamics involves a lot more than just "raising money".

Unfortunately, this "event" is a lot more about having "fun" than actually doing anything about violence within families.
Sad..Very sad.

What is happening to the proofing? Check out the headline, plus it's a story about the YWCA's women's shelter but the event box lists the YMCA as the agency. Where's the accuracy?!