I found both of Steven Lee Myers’ pieces to be very interesting. I was pleased to hear that in recent years the government and military have become stricter regarding sexual harassment, abuse, rape, etc. However, we are far from done yet. One quote that really struck me was that, “‘A woman in the military is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq’” (“A Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.’s”, pg. 3). We hear day in and day out about American soldiers being killed in Iraq, yet a woman is more likely to be raped than killed, like those thousands of soldiers. This is a frightening statistic. We claim that we have done such a good job of integrating women in the military, etc. yet we still face serious issues. Thinking back on Steinmen’s article on crimes over supremacy, part of me has to wonder if that plays a factor in the rapes in the military as well. These men begin to feel threatened by the women and want to prove their superiority over her by raping her. This is an issue.
Another quote I found interesting was, “Women have sought acceptance in a still-predominately male environment not by emphasizing their sex but rather by displaying their toughness, their willingness to adjust to conditions that are less than ideal” (“Living and Fighting Alongside Men, and Fitting In”, pg. 3). The traits we typically think of when we think of the military and the people we want defending our country are predominantly those of men. We would not want a spoiled and rich little girl who has never had to work a day in her life going out to fight for our safety. However, I once again have to think back to Steinmen. If these women are going out to prove they are capable of fighting in the military, I could see how many men could feel threatened by this and feel the need to assert their dominance through sexual harassment, sexual abuse, rape, etc. like the women in these two articles experienced.
Britt,
ReplyDeleteThe first quote you mention (more likely to be raped than killed in Iraq) also shocked me and I agree that supremacy crimes most likely play some part in this phenomenon. In your second paragraph, you write that women have "to prove they are capable of fighting in the military." It is unfortunately the truth that what men can do without question, women must fight for. But I disagree that this makes males' actions against women (rape, sexual assault) justified. Why is an appropriate response to feeling threatened violating a woman's body and taking advantage of her? Because this is how women are vulnerable and men realize this. Until sexual assault is not the natural response of men to a woman trying to make her way in the world, this will certainly continue.
Women face a catch 22 in the military. They feel the need to show confidence and toughness in order to fit in, but then that could threaten the men by making them feel less dominant over the women, leading them to rape the women. There doesn't seem to be a solution available to the women at this point. I think the difference needs to happen in the men- and emphasis needs to be made to accept women into the military and to respect them has human beings. It doesn't really make sense that male soldiers make life-long bonds of friendship and family-like connections with the men they serve with; but they feel like they can get away with raping or assaulting the women serving with them.
ReplyDeleteIt is remarkable to me that women have been able to make the military for both men and women. Out of all of the professions, it seemed this would be the last. Nevertheless, having women in the military is clearly an advantage to the armed forces and is also great for feminism. However, there is a huge problem with sexual assault in the military. Women are more likely to get raped than killed and it is said that almost 30% of women in the military or who were once in the military have had issues of sexual assault at one time or another during their time in service. This is unacceptable. While this article says that the government and the military have been cracking down, this is does not even come close to solving the problem. Men in the military are getting away with sexual assault because the military does not want to deal with scandal and because nobody wants to slander a decorated military official with a rape allegation. This has caused women to fear coming forward about their sexual assault incidents. The situation then becomes cyclical because if men aren't being convicted of rape, women won't come forward, and if women don't come forward, the perpetrator cannot be caught. There is also the issue of women not wanting to come forward because they don't want to make a big deal about rape when there is a 'bigger issue at hand' (the war). This is an unacceptable mindset and needs to be remedied somehow. But how?
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