Soldiers charged with crimes ranging from going AWOL and smoking marijuana, to rape and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, can request to leave the Army rather than go to trial.
Tag: Military Sexual Assault
Another Suspicious Death at a Texas Military Base Shows the Urgency of Addressing Military Sexual Harassment and Assault
Mourners recently attended a memorial service for Pvt. Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz, who was found murdered at the same Texas military base where U.S. Army Soldier Vanessa Guillén was brutally murdered in 2020. Ruiz’s death has renewed focus on the Army’s handling of sexual harassment—since before her death, Ruiz had told several family members and friends that she had been sexually harassed. Before she was killed, Guillén had also reported to her supervisor two instances of sexual harassment by a fellow soldier, but he and other officials failed to report the harassment up the chain.
As a Marine, I have heard the stories of sexual assault and harassment and have seen firsthand the devastating effects it can have on those who experience it. It is time for the U.S. military to recognize this problem and provide evidence-based therapies and resources to service members who have experienced this devastating trauma.
Dobbs’ Effect on Military Women: ‘Our Fighting Force Is Hindered and Our Security Is at Risk’
Forty percent of active-duty service women in the U.S. are stationed in states with abortion bans, as are 43 percent of civilian women working in the military. The time, cost and stress of traveling out of state will no doubt take a tremendous toll not only on women seeking abortion, but on the military itself and national security.
“Women who are active-duty service members do not get to choose what state they live in, which means they could lose abortion access at the whim of any state with an abortion ban.”
#MeToo, Five Years Later
In the five years since it took off like wildfire, the #MeToo campaign has made widespread sexual abuse in the U.S. visible for the first time and inspired a record number of sexual harassment lawsuits against employers. It exposed how our decades-old workplace anti-harassment laws were outdated and often ineffective. In the last five years, 22 states and the District of Columbia passed more than 70 workplace anti-harassment bills in the last five years—many with bipartisan support.
Even still, U.S. rape culture persists and creates an environment where women and girls are disbelieved, survivors are discouraged from reporting abuse, and male abusers are forgiven—or even rewarded—for sexually abusive behavior. Congress must do more.
‘Las Abuelas’: How a Group of Sexual Slavery Survivors in Guatemala Won a Historic Legal Victory
In rural Guatemala, a group of survivors of sexual slavery won a remarkable legal victory—and have become respected activists for Indigenous women’s rights.
“I wish no women would live through what we have lived through.”
Keeping Score: Capitol Statues Honor RBG and Sandra Day O’Connor; Military Survivors Launch Campaign to Address Sexual Assault
In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in in this biweekly round-up.
This week: Michigan governor appeals to state Supreme Court to enshrine abortion rights in constitution; track star Allyson Felix plans to retire; Florida and Oklahoma move to criminalize abortion; Ukrainian refugees face a lack of sexual and reproductive healthcare; U.N. funds Bilan Project to give a voice to female journalists in Somalia; and more.
Keeping Score: Democrats Demand Repeal of Global Gag Rule; Sexual Harassment Is Now a Military Code Offense; Black Voters Eager to See First Black Woman to Supreme Court
In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in in this biweekly round-up.
This week: Mississippi abortion ban threatens future of Roe v. Wade; McDonald’s employees pursue anti-sexual harassment and discrimination training; Democrats demand permanent repeal of global gag rule; California signs Equal Pay Pledge; same-gender couples face $30,000 income gap; and more.
The Ms. Top Feminists of 2021
From COVID vaccines to abortion rights, infrastructure bills to Olympic athletes, 2021 has been a monunmental year for feminists around the globe. With so many of our rights in jeopardy, and with so many women struggling to recover from the pandemic, activists have had to work even harder to stand up for the causes we believe in.
Tackling voting rights, public health, reproductive justice and much more, here are our top feminists of 2021.
Congress Had the Votes to Overhaul How the Military Handles Serious Crimes. Why Didn’t It?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says that despite rare bipartisan backing, “four men, in a closed room” blocked long-sought changes to how the military handles sexual assault and other major justice issues.
U.S. Military’s Male-Dominated Culture Harms More Than Just Women
Major gender gaps persist in the U.S. armed forces, negatively impacting operational effectiveness, military culture and compliance with international law, according to a report released by the Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security.
To ensure women’s meaningful participation, the report suggests that women must be promoted to leadership positions and their input must be valued. To do so, the military must adopt better and more complete childcare and parental leave policies and decouple physical fitness standards from advancement.