“The Invisible War”
During the Human Rights Film Festival I attended the
documentary The Invisible War written
and directed by Kirby Dick. After Anu Bhagwati’s visit to our class, and
hearing great reviews about the documentary I decided to watch the film. The
documentary highlights the controversy surrounding sexual assault within the
United States military. I wasn’t able to attend the discussion following the
film, however, I was extremely moved by the film’s content. I was shocked by
the overall statistics of rape within the military, the amount of cases that go
“unreported” and unresolved, and the stories of women who were forced to
experience physical and mental abuse, sometimes even from commanders. I was
shocked by the irony of the situation. Here, were women [and men] willing to
fight and protect our country, however, they received no protection for
themselves.
How could such an “admirable” institution have high levels of corruption and dishonesty? Levels so high that statistics revealed in the documentary state 3,230 women reported assault during the last fiscal year in 2009, and 80% of sexual assault victims do not report. At the time of the documentary they estimated that 16,150 women were sexual assaulted in the military. Statistics continue to rise, and cases continue to go unreported. Although I had already had knowledge of sexual assault within the military from previous readings and Anu’s visit, there was absolutely nothing like seeing the personal detailed stories of the women and male survivors. The stories were heartbreaking. I watched as the lives of women and men were destroyed by the effects of the sexual assault and abuse they experienced while serving in the military.
The movie stated that “40 percent of female homeless veterans have been raped,” and “Women who have been raped in the military have a PTSD rate higher than men who’ve been in combat”. We have all heard the stories of men who experience post traumatic stress disorder after combat, however, I was extremely shocked to hear that statistics prove women who have been raped in the military have an even higher PTSD rate. After I watched the movie I thought about our idea for a rape campaign, simply stating: “DON’T RAPE”. I thought of the rape victim in the film who said “if a woman makes a rape case there always people asking questions, what was she doing there, what was she wearing? Whether or not she had a boyfriend”. I wondered what type of effect our slogan could have. How instead of victim blaming we can teach ways to prevent rape.
How could such an “admirable” institution have high levels of corruption and dishonesty? Levels so high that statistics revealed in the documentary state 3,230 women reported assault during the last fiscal year in 2009, and 80% of sexual assault victims do not report. At the time of the documentary they estimated that 16,150 women were sexual assaulted in the military. Statistics continue to rise, and cases continue to go unreported. Although I had already had knowledge of sexual assault within the military from previous readings and Anu’s visit, there was absolutely nothing like seeing the personal detailed stories of the women and male survivors. The stories were heartbreaking. I watched as the lives of women and men were destroyed by the effects of the sexual assault and abuse they experienced while serving in the military.
The movie stated that “40 percent of female homeless veterans have been raped,” and “Women who have been raped in the military have a PTSD rate higher than men who’ve been in combat”. We have all heard the stories of men who experience post traumatic stress disorder after combat, however, I was extremely shocked to hear that statistics prove women who have been raped in the military have an even higher PTSD rate. After I watched the movie I thought about our idea for a rape campaign, simply stating: “DON’T RAPE”. I thought of the rape victim in the film who said “if a woman makes a rape case there always people asking questions, what was she doing there, what was she wearing? Whether or not she had a boyfriend”. I wondered what type of effect our slogan could have. How instead of victim blaming we can teach ways to prevent rape.
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