"Military Sexual Violence: From Frontline to Fenceline" by Annie Isabel Fukushima & Gwen Kirk

"So why does military sexual violence persist? One explanation offered by The Invisible War is that the US military includes a higher percentage of “sexual predators” than civilian society. Also, some military commanders not only tolerate sexual assault, they are also complicit in covering up these incidents, punishing victims, and exonerating perpetrators or, at most, giving them a “boys-will-be-boys” slap on the wrist.
A weakness of the current debate is its narrow focus on US military women. Cynthia Enloe, a leading feminist scholar of international relations, recently noted the importance of looking to “those who are pushed to the margins” in order to learn about the big picture.
To locate the root of the problem means looking beyond the assaults on US military women — appalling as they are — to the routine incidents of military violence against civilians in combat situations and outside the fences surrounding US bases overseas. Given their mission, soldiers are trained to kill. This means seeing “others” as foreign or less-than-human. Gender and masculinity are at play; so too are racism and national chauvinism"

Read more here.

An Apt Cartoon

Lauren: Another Example of the Invisible War

As I was catching up with the Big Bang Theory episodes after a long day of doing nothing, a preview for the second season of LAUREN came on. I saw that it was about a woman in the military. I found out it was a rape case, just the Invisible War. The preview showed a pretty, White female (Lauren) telling another soldier about her rape. After, there is a shot of a male commanding officer telling Lauren's captain that she needs to make this go away. In another take, we see both women talking about the rape and Lauren is emotional because they tell her that she has no right to do anything. I automatically thought of the Invisible War and Jessica Lynch. It showed a stereotypical White woman being controlled by a big, strong man in an environment where she couldn't do anything. I think that this show became an extension of The Invisible War because it shows the story of another rape case in the military in another form of the media. The series is broadcasted on the WIGS and on Youtube, as well as on TV, which are easier ways to access the series than a documentary. The casting of the actress made me think: Is this really positive for exposure of military rape? I mean, it focuses solely on women, it follows the defenseless female, and it's about her fight against the system. In my personal opinion, any exposure is good exposure, even if it is stereotypical. This series, which I just started watching, gives other people an idea about what is happening in the military and it makes women (and men) think about these issues before enlisting. I had the same issue with the Invisible War. But if it wasn't for the documentary, I wouldn't have known about military rape. So, even if the Invisible War and Lauren mainly focus on women's cases, it is a starting point to raise awareness.

Here is the link to WIGS website in case you are interested in watching the series: 

http://www.watchwigs.com/

Wigs also makes other series about women in different situations that deal with "women problems." If you see or are seeing any of the other series, tell me what you think :)

I will be watching the series throughout the summer and I will post some analysis and personal thoughts on the series. I recommend everyone see it and post comments about the episodes as well.

Pentagon report finds increase in sexual assaults

A shocking new report by the Pentagon has found that 70 sexual assaults may be taking place within the U.S. military every day. The report estimates there were 26,000 instances of sexualized violence [my edit] committed in 2012, a jump of 37 percent since 2010. Most of the incidents were never reported. The findings were released two days after the head of the Air Force’s sexual assault prevention unit, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, was arrested for sexual assault. We air highlights from Tuesday’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on military sexual assault and speak with Anu Bhagwati, executive director and co-founder of Service Women’s Action Network. "The numbers are outrageous, and I think we’ve reached a tipping point," Bhagwati says. "The American public is furious."

Read on/ watch here.

Human Rights Film Festival

“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. 

Anu Bhagwati Visit

Anu Bhagwati’s visit to our class was very interesting. Although I had a little knowledge about sexual harassment in the military, I was still extremely shocked to hear some of the stories. Her visit to our class made me decide to attend The Invisible War screening during the Human Rights Film Festival. It was so interesting to hear of her own personal experience in the military. How men and women were treated separately, even down to physical appearance i.e. through uniform choices and haircuts, as well as what women were forced to endure simply for being a woman. I found it quite interesting when she commented that sometimes the judgement from other women exceeded the judgement from male counterparts. I was shocked to hear of the way rape and sexual harassment cases were handled in the military, and how women were forced to go to their commander (who sometimes was the offender). I loved when someone mentioned our “Don’t Rape” campaign previously discussed in our class, and she agreed and said that she has herself thought of how significant it would be to teach the consequences of rape, instead of the prevention. Although, we had already heard the statement during class, I was so disturbed to hear that the statistics of rape in the military was equivalent to the statistics of rape on college campuses!  

Response to "The Invisible War," a film directed by Kirby Dick - Allie Khori

http://invisiblewarmovie.com/

While I know that I am probably the last person in our entire class to watch this movie, and doubtless anything I say will be something my classmates have already considered, I must say that I was particularly impressed with this piece of documentary film making.

            The effect that this movie had, whether as grand as it claimed (making the DOD change its policy after viewing it) or not, gave me a lot of confidence in the power of art to make positive social change.  Television as a medium is in itself innocuous, simply a tool, a method of presenting images and sounds to a wide audience.  It can be used to numb or to incite, to quiet rumblings or fan the fire.  Telling extremely personal stories to a camera, knowing full well that these images will be seen by millions of viewers, requires a special kind of bravery, one that is full of hope and courage, and it was very powerful to see.

            If the military is like a family, and service members see each other as siblings and their commanding officers as a close authority figure, then rape within a unit and denial/punishment of the victim by the CO is akin to a sister being raped by her brother, telling their father, and then having the father punish his daughter for this crime.  This betrayal of a most intimate trust is traumatic in the extreme, and the PTSD associated with it is comparable to that male soldiers experience in combat. 

The preceding fact (above, in italics) made me think of the following sentence.  “The taking of a body in a sexually violent manner is akin to the taking of a body in a physically violent manner.”  Switch out the word “body” with the word “life” and you get an even more potent sentence.  The taking of a life in a sexually violent manner is akin to the taking of a life in a physically violent manner.  Combat trauma, which is often related to the taking of another life or seeing a comrade’s life taken, is akin to the trauma women service members experience during and especially after being raped by another service member.  This is a comparison which I believe cannot be overemphasized.

            Another fact that stood out to me was the reminder that there are, numerically, more men than women who have been subjected to sexualized violence in the military.   And if men have been in the military since its inception, the number of survivors must be absolutely astronomical.  How many suicides have been caused by this and why is no one talking about it? 

            This movie was an extremely potent reminder to me of why the debate about upping female enrollment in the armed forces is so problematic to feminists.  It’s not just the statistical potential for women to become victims of sexualized violence, but the fact that, when examined closely, the military is an arena of human interaction that has basically institutionalized sexualized violence.  Could it even exist without the fundamental tenets which encourage such violence?  Related to this was the study which showed that 15% of service members had attempted or committed an act of sexualized violence BEFORE ENLISTING.  This highlights, in neon, glowing, blindingly bright ink, the idea that something about the entire military structure encourages the traits of people which lead to sexualized violence.  Such a deep-seated problem would surely be nearly impossible to remove entirely.  Or perhaps it would transform the American Military into the proud, upstanding defense force that it claims to be, the force I want it to be

Barklow, T.K., Newson, J.S., Scully, R. K., (Producers), & Dick, K. (Director).  (2012). The Invisible War [Motion picture]. United States: Film Sprout.

Human Rights Film Festival: The Invisible War

After Anu Bhagwati visited our class, I admit to taking the cliche route and decided to watch The Invisible War. Prior to taking this seminar, I only heard about the movie from one of my Media Studies classes, but hadn't even thought twice about watching it - now I regret it! Hearing Bhagwati's encounters with such an inherently patriarchal power - from the double-standards between men and women's fitness exams, uniforms, available work positions, all the way to the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military - were astounding. Maybe it's because I maintained such a shallow and superficial understanding of the system (that these were men and women willing to serve the country in combat, put through intense and identity-breaking training), but it was almost shocking to hear so many stories of corruption result from what is usually regarded as an esteemed national institution.

One of the most daunting pieces of information Bhagwati shared with us was that the ratio of rape within U.S. college campuses and rape within the U.S. military were strikingly similar. This fact alone gave me something to relate to, something that hit close to home since I was already aware that sexual assault was something prevalent amongst my peers. The Invisible War furthered this awareness with a slew of scandalous statistics - that 20 percent of women in the military have reported sexual assault, the estimate that 80 percent of such assaults aren't even reported and affect both women and men as well. Even worse is that women are often penalized for alleging these sexual assaults, and though they are required to report these attacks, the perpetrators still go unpunished. Though these were issues that Bhagwati noted in class, it was heartbreaking to watch the movie and actually see the victims and hear their stories! With a face and a voice to attribute to these stories made it more difficult to fathom that these things go on within such a blindly-respected institution. Since hearing Bhagwati's stories, watching The Invisible War and taking this class in general, I've just felt angry - but a good kind of angry, that makes me feel both informed and gives me the drive to do something to help.

"The Invisible War" and "In Shopian"

          I attended both "The Invisible War" and "In Shopian" which were screened in the Human Rights Film Festival. 

         "In Shopian" was about the Kashmir area that is legally part of India, but there have been attacks against the Kashmir people because they have protested against the Indian government and seek independence. The specific case that the film focused on was a wife and a sister that were raped by the Indian military, killed and left in a nearby river, and the police investigation was covered up to protect the Indian government. The husband and brother of the women has become an advocate of human rights to prevent further incidents. 

         I had heard about the Kashmir conflict in a politics class, but never went into any specifics. The people there basically have no government to protect them and they can't constitute their own. They are in limbo and their efforts have proved futile. They protest by word and by actions. When the conflict gets violent, the people and the police throw rocks at each other. It was notes that the policemen thought of the fights as a game of cricket, a plaything when they have the guns. I can see the perspective from India, where they don’t want to lose territory, but if they wish to keep peace with the Kashmir people, they should treat them as citizens, equal to other Indian counterparts.
         The invisible war related to what Anu had come to talk to us in class. Violence in the military affects everyone. There were many examples where women were raped and their perpetrators were not charged with criminal charges. Most of the things we covered in class, but it really hit me when I connected the faces of these women with their stories and seeing how they reacted to the government. One thing that struck me was the fact that, legally, the military has to do something when cases are presented, but they don’t in order to protect the “divine quality” of the establishment. Nothing is perfect and the military is not even close. Also, the Veterans Department is so inefficient and inconsiderate with women’s cases that they spend unnecessary money on useless medical tests and take more than 14 months in one case. 

The Invisible War-- Reflection and Thoughts

I attended the Human Rights Festival in Saturday and saw The Invisible War. While I was unable to stay for the Q and A after the film I did meet Katie Weber an MST survivor and the facilitator for the Tri County Collaboration for Military, Veterans, and Family. She is interested in students who want to participate in her program and told me to extend a welcome to anyone interested in participating and working with her organization. I have her information if anyone is interested. She is a fascinating lady.

I wanted to share that the movie is....awful...incredible...disturbing....horrible...but such a necessary display of truth, courage, and struggle faced by women AND men who serve in the army. I was touched and angered by the film; I was angry when I left. How do you fix a system that is so inherently messed up? Who is responsible? How does this happen?

One of the hardest parts of the movie for me was the military father of a survivor who had promised his daughter that she would be safe and well taken care of in the military sharing that the military had done nothing about the claim that his daughter had filed; a place that had taken such good care of him and made him the person he is today so blatantly and carelessly disregarded a massive violation of his daughters emotional and physical security.

I am really glad that the movie mentioned men being the survivors of assault and rape in the military as well. I was astounded, although I guess I really shouldn't have been. Again, how is this allowed to happen? Who would actually threaten the people that are victims of assault and inform them of their rights as if eh we're criminals? Why are the actual criminals being protected?

There were many aspects if the film that upset me but these were things that really stood out to me. I can't understand it, or fathom that kind of abuse in ANY situation, let alone within an institution that is supposed to be built upon great moral character and protecting the population...