Help Fight Sexual Assault in the Military

A message from AAUW:

19,000.

That's an estimate of how many sexual assaults occurred in the military in 2011. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who Wednesday called this number a "stain on the honor of the armed forces," indicated that although there were 3,191 reported incidents, the stigma of reporting sexual assault is so high that 19,000 is a better reflection of the truth.

Take Action! Help fight the scourge of sexual assault in the military by asking your member of the House of Representatives to cosponsor the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention (STOP) Act (H.R. 3435)!

Stronger rules and better enforcement are critical to the health and safety of the men and women in our nation's armed forces. The STOP Act would create and empower a civilian sexual assault oversight council, establish protocols to protect victims, and create tools and resources to help reduce sexual assault. Ensuring adequate investigation and support is a first step toward eliminating the stigma of reporting sexual assault and fighting its prevalence in the military. We must help protect the troops who protect us.

AAUW is committed to improving the way the military deals with sexual assault by ensuring victims receive adequate support for their case. That's why we are helping to support a group of veteran and active duty servicemen and servicewomen who are suing the Department of Defense (DoD) who allege that the DoD failed to investigate or prosecute their cases. (Learn more about AAUW's Legal Advocacy Fund here).

To send a message asking your asking your members of the House of Representatives to cosponsor the STOP Act (H.R. 3435), visit AAUW Two-Minute Activist(http://bit.ly/55Ljd).

Remember: You can always help strengthen AAUW’s efforts to fight bullying and harassment by making a tax-deductible donation to AAUW's Public Policy Fund!

Double your impact! Tweet, Facebook, and forward this action alert to friends and family.