Peacekeepers in the Congo

The U.N. Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Margot Wallstrom was in the Congo two weeks ago to advocate for an extension of the U.N. mission in the country. All though peacekeepers have been linked to some atrocities in the country, it is widely believed that if the U.N. is forced to leave conditions for women and girls in the country will worsen. Wallstrom has an uphill battle to fight in a country whose conflict has been the deadliest since World War II, which was characterized by a recent article in Foreign Policy magazine as being less of traditional war and more akin to "organized banditry".

Black Hearts and War Crimes

In a new book journalist Jim Fredricks chronicles the leaderships failures that helped lead to the 2006 rape and murder of a young Iraqi girl and her family at the hands of U.S. troops. I have written about this incident before but this book has new details about the factors that helped further one of the most infamous crimes of the Iraq war.

Women are not just victims.... A Different Perspective on Rape in the U.S. Military

The piece written by Lt. Jessica Scott is for the PBS series regarding women in war. It touches on the fact that a woman's accomplishments in and contributions to the military are not defined by and large by victim-hood. Scott had a positive refection on her service and stated that "In the Army I serve, women and men are treated based on their performance and how they carry themselves." (This type of blame the victim mentality by is explained this study)She goes on to state that "The media claims that nearly one-third of service women have experienced sexual abuse. This percentage is certainly higher than anyone should find acceptable, but those who suffer abuse are still in the minority". She blames the media for a lack of positive stories regarding women in combat and ends her piece by saying "We are soldiers and spouses and sisters and mothers and wives and daughters. We are not just victims, bitches, sluts or dykes.To the mainstream media: please stop telling America that's all we are." Author Kelly Oliver refers to this assertion in her book "Women's Bodies as Weapons of War" as the virgin/whore dichotomy. Oliver, like Scott, believes that women have either been portrayed as virgins as in the case PFC. Jessica Lynch or whores as was the case for Lyndie England by the media during the war in Iraq. It is not just the media rallying around these accounts. It is the Pentagon who needed a hero or a scape goat to complete their own narratives. I cannot discount Scott's experiences however; she can only speak for herself in this matter as many other women have ones that differ greatly.