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The page preceding this states that one in three women in the military will be sexually assaulted during their tour of duty. This number is amazing to me and it makes me wonder what life is really like for women in the military. In such a male dominated institution, the women of the military have been silenced. NOW president Kim Gandy is calling for president Barack Obama to address this issue and see that it stops.

This is a great example of our society being male dominated. How are we supposed to make change when the majority of government, law, and policy makers are men? Those involved with public service are typically those in control of delegating positions and reforming laws. It is important for the few women who are involved to raise their voices and for us, the citizens, to elect more women into office.

Before joining this class, I had knowledge of such happenings within our military, but I never had any idea the numbers were so high. I am able to acknowledge that yes these things happen, but it is hard to accept how often they occur. Posttraumatic stress disorder is an issue that is raised all the time, of men coming back from war and being so traumatized that they cannot continue on with their daily lives. In a number of movies and TV shows I have watched, soldiers coming back from war have been depicted as abusing their wives, but what about their fellow female soldiers? This is an issue that surely needs to be address now not only by the media to the public but within the government. Morgan brings up a good, but scary point of how are we suppose to change anything when those in power are men and men supporting the actions in the military by not speaking out. I do not know what the answer to this problem is, but I know that acknowledging and addressing the issue is the first step.

Enloe, Cynthia. 2004. "Maneuvers: The International Politics of Militarizing Women's Lives" The University of California Press. "Maneuvers: The International Politics of Militarizing Women's Lives" by Cynthia Enloe discusses the the extent to which states' militaries have relied on women in order to conduct unethical military operations like war rape and sustain a political legitimacy. In particular I will be using the chapters, "The Laundress, The Soldier, and the State" which discusses the beginning acts of political violence against women, in particular the concept of camp following and the chapter "When Soldiers Rape" which contains a literal discussion of soldiers use of rape as a weapon of war. These articles will help enhance my understanding of the political acts of violence against women, how they started, escalated, and how the military gets away with them.

This article by Sheila Jeffreys discusses female soldiers involvement with the military. She argues that they are in a double jeopardy of being symbolically objectified and physically abused. This article helps my discussion on the political acts of violence against women through an analysis of the United States military and their treatment of women. This is one of the topics I address in my paper and have used many quotes to support my argument

This article informs us on the level of involvement that women are taking part in the demonstrations and activism in Honduras. The biggest issue that is spoken about in this article is the militarization of the National Institute of Women (INAM). This is a threat to all women in Honduras because their resources are being blocked and controlled by the government. Another issue that is discussed is the sexualized aggression against women when they are protesting for their rights.

In the midst of taking a class on the different outlets of Violence Against Women, the student is often left with a better understanding of how and why rape, physical assault, murder, human trafficking, and Femicide against females occurs as well as an overwhelming feeling of helpless and hopeless. The website entitled the "Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence Against Women and Girls" is an attempt to take pro-active steps in helping the public form campaigns, educate others, seek justice, form legislation and public policy, prevent, discover where safety zones exist, and research the various locations where the violence exists. It truly takes a step in helping the public feel less helpless and asking questions of what the can do to help because it directly leads one toward the answers.