More Than A Magazine, A Movement
The U.S. Army is still failing in its responsibility to investigate and prosecute sexual harassment and assault charges brought by Captain Erin Scanlon.
Months after her alleged rapist was acquitted, Scanlon filed a claim against the Army on grounds that her case was mishandled at Fort Bragg. The military denied the claim, citing the controversial Feres Doctrine, which prevents those who are injured as a result of military service from suing the government.
Right before her death, Vanessa Guillén told her family that she had been sexually harassed by superiors. She didn’t report it, fearing retribution. Reporting sexual harassment and sexual assaults in the military goes up the chain of command—particularly useless if the perpetrator is a superior.
Since Guillén’s murder was confirmed, current and past service members who experienced sexual assault and harassment have shared their own stories with the viral #IAmVanessaGuillen.
Vanessa Guillén was a 20-year-old soldier for the United States Army who mysteriously disappeared from the Texas Fort Hood Army Base on April 22—after disclosing information of sexual harassment.
Vanessa’s story is creating a #MeToo moment for the military. There must be a congressional investigation into her disappearance and likely, death.
Sexual assault isn’t unique to West Point’s campus, nor is it unique to the armed services.
The Marines United scandal shows how ideals of heterosexuality and manliness in military culture converge—and reflect an environment where women are not treated as equals.
A defense authorization bill which would require women to register for Selective Service is moving through Congress. But in a military landscape rife with sexual violence, this step toward women’s full equality under the law seems short-sighted and even irresponsible.
In March, retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps published a report detailing the cultural factors that contribute to the high levels of harassment, date rape and other forms of assault in the Canadian military. Earlier this month, CBC news released an interview with Canadian Chief of Defense Staff General Tom Lawson, who had something […]
On Thursday, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) along with Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would protect military whistleblowers who come forward with allegations of sexual assault and other wrongdoing. The Legal Justice for Servicemembers Act is similar to a bill drafted by Boxer in the 80s, the […]
This March, for Women’s History Month, the Ms. Blog is profiling Wonder Women who have made history—and those who are making history right now. Join us each day as we bring you the stories of iconic and soon-to-be-famous feminist change-makers. “We should all be able to agree our brave men and women in uniform deserve blind justice,” […]
The latest annual study on military sexual assault from the Department of Defense (DOD) shows that reports of such assault rose 8 percent since 2013. Perhaps even more striking, however, is that the incidence of retribution against those who report sex crimes is a stunning 62 percent. That means service members who came forward with […]
