News
'I've been quiet long enough': New Report Details Consequences of Alleging Sexual Assault in Military
Monday, May 18, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Samantha Jarret is speaking out about her sexual assault while serving in Navy, the court-martial, humiliation and retaliation. She was discharged in August 2014.
Indonesia’s Crudely Invasive ‘Virginity Tests’ for Female Military Recruits
Friday, May 15, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - International
In Indonesia, the "virginity test" is standard practice for women seeking to join the military. They are required to strip naked and have their genitalia manually examined by a doctor, purportedly to ensure that they are virgins. According to a military general “It is done in order to get the best people both physically and mentally."
The US Military's Sexual-Assault Problem Is So Bad the UN Is Getting Involved
Thursday, May 14, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
The UN's Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review Panel, a UN panel that aims to address the human rights records of the 193 UN member states, concluded that the U.S. military has a problem with sexual violence. One of the 2 final recommendations urged the US military "to prevent sexual violence in the military and ensure effective prosecution of offenders and redress for victims."
Senate Panel Backs Military Retirement Change, Troop Pay Raise of 1.3%
Wednesday, May 13, 2015 | Category: Legislation - National
This Senate Armed Services Committee Personnel Subcommittee legislation mark up supports a 401(k)-type military retirement plan by 2017, lower pay raises, higher TriCare pharmacy co-pay fees an slowing growth of housing allowances. The legislation would also modify courts-martial rules to protect sexual assault special victims' counsels from receiving unfavorable evaluations as a form of retaliation and authorize them to assist sexual assault survivors in filing complaints to inspectors general and members of Congress.
House of Cards Creator Beau Willimon Wants to Put an End to Sexual Assault
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Beau Willimon is a sexual-assault advocate. He became particularly interested in the subject after watching "The Invisible War," documentary that inspired the "House of Cards" military sexual-assault storyline. “I grew up on naval bases. That sort of crime was going on without me being aware. It was shocking,” he says. Mr. Willimon will speak with others at "Slut: The Play," which is focused on the sexual shaming of girls amongst their peers as early as 10 and 11 years old.
Stop Assaults on Military Campuses
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Student members of a Yale Law School legal clinic representing the Service Women’s Action Network, founded in 2007 by female veterans of the Marine Corps and the New York Army National Guard, offer an opinion about why military service academies tolerate sexual harassment and assault. They suggest that part of the problem is that the military service academies are not subject to Title IX which requires almost all American schools that receive federal money to eliminate sex discrimination, including sexual violence.
Editorial: Sexual Assault in the Military
Monday, May 11, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
In the Department of Defense's 2014 workplace survey, 76% of servicewomen and nearly 50% of servicemen surveyed said sexual harassment is common or very common. Few victims report assaults, distrusting the system to receive fair treatment. The Pentagon's numbers reflect an average of 52 service members receive unwanted sexual attention every day. Zero tolerance was first promised in 1992 by then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney.
Audit: Air Force Sexual Assault Teams Skipped Training, Missed Background Checks
Saturday, May 9, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
According to an April 2014 audit, Air Force personnel selected to work with victims of sex assault were not properly trained or did not have background checks before beginning their assignments. 1,435 of about 2,500 sex assault response coordinators and victim advocates had deficient records lacking either deficient background checks or missed training.
How Can We End Homelessness Among Female Veterans?
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
A recently released report offers a four-pronged approach to address homelessness among female veterans. The University of Southern California Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families and the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, conducted the research resulting in a call to action for government organizations, non-governmental agencies and philanthropic entities to collaborate and provide resources to fill the gaps that make women veterans vulnerable to homelessness.
Survey Shows Decline in Military Sexual Assaults
Monday, May 4, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
The 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study reflected a decline to an estimated 18,900 servicemembers who experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2014, down from around 26,000 in 2012. The percentage of active-duty women who experienced unwanted sexual contact during the past year declined from 6.1 percent in 2012 to an estimated 4.3 percent in 2014 and for active-duty men, from 1.2 percent in 2012 to 0.9 percent in 2014.