One Billion Rising Global Campaign To End Violence Against Women
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIRST WOMEN #VETSRISING SET FOR WASHINGTON D.C. ON VDAY
Operation 2.2 Million Raises Awareness About Military Rape, Sexual Assault, Military Justice Improvement Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An initiative titled, Operation 2.2 Million, signifying the nation’s more than 2 million women veterans at large, sets to bring attention to the military rape, sexual assault, and harassment epidemics plaguing military services, and service academies, with a #VetsRising 11a.m. Saturday, February 14 in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Military sexual trauma, or MST, is the descriptor used to denote incidents of rape, sexual assault, harassment, and the impact of retaliation, isolation and stigmatization within military units, that often occurs after reporting the crimes to unit commanders. Victims report the aftermath is often more traumatizing, than the sexual trauma itself.
Outcry by men and women survivors has inspired reforms in recent years, including the introduction of the Military Justice Improvement act, by N.Y. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Veteran advocacy group VET USA, spawned this first #VetsRising initiative, as part of the One Billion Rising Global Campaign to end violence against women, reaching out to women veterans nationwide.
“Now is the time, for women veterans to join women around the world, across the U.S., and on college campuses, to stop violence against women,” said Ms. Colleen Bushnell, VET USA founder, and president, who herself was a victim of rape and sexual assault, while working at Lackland Air Force Base in 2004.
“We couldn’t be more optimistic about President Obama’s statement at the Grammy’s and the launching of the ‘Its On Us Campaign’ to end sexual violence on college campuses,” she said. “The #VetsRising clarion call is imperative because women veterans have been fighting for real reforms for decades. The conflict of interest that exists for victim and accused in local chains of command, are too significant to overcome. The MJIA takes the important step of taking the justice process out of not legally trained, local-unit commander’s hands.”
Ms. Veteran America Competition, Maryland non profits The Next Chapter Corporation, and The Warford Foundation, Inc joins the group, during the Break The Chain smart-mob dance, in front of the memorial, as well as several activists, authors, and national women-veteran lead service projects.
“President Obama gave the DoD one year to significantly improve military culture, and response to these crimes. The deadline has passed, and the burden has not been met,” she said. Citing the most recent survey commissioned by the DoD, through the Rand Corporation, which indicated the number of prosecution of felony crimes has gone down, while the number of servicemembers who report fear of retaliation has increased.
Bushnell said the group remains committed to advocacy until Senator Gillibrand’s MJIA is passed into law. The MJIA’s fundamental component is requiring the DoD to handle reporting, investigation, adjudication and prosecution of most felony crimes outside of the local unit chain of command. The law garnered a majority vote in the Senate last year, but was filibustered by Senate Republicans lead by Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri.
The Bele Bele Rhythm Collective is an intergenerational group of women the Washington D.C., and surrounding areas, who come together in the sisterhood of the drum. Founded in 2008, and led by Drumlady Kristen Arant, the BBRC performs tightly sewn compositions of polyrhythms on West African dun-un, and djembe drums, complete with exciting breaks, contagious songs, and dancing. The BBRC performs to celebrate unity and diversity, and to spread the joy and healing power of West African drumming to the community at-large.
For additional information please contact:
VET USA President and Founder #VetsRising Creator Ms. Colleen Bushnell, U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. (Ret.), colleen.bushnell@gmail.com Cell: 832-706-5610
MST Advocacy Media
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