Segment 2: Women Under Fire. When Sarah decided to write her first book she was still working as a nurse psychotherapist, and realized she needed three things in order to complete this project: a title that she could get behind and that would inspire her, the knowledge that she could write well, and plenty of women to interview. She began interviewing women veterans who were open to speaking about serving in the military. She wanted a wide variety of stories and was open to everyone. She scheduled interviews once a week for years. During an interview she would essentially do two things: write and listen. Her psychotherapy skills came into play as well, as she needed to be fully present and hold the women in a safe and protected way. Sarah conducted interviews with 58 women vets over a course of a few years, ranging from WWII vets to the most current veterans. A mentor who read her manuscript told her she should write about women being abused in the military, which Sarah struggled with, but which eventually changed the shape of the entire project. She ended up with two separate books as well as a website.
Segment 3: Isolated, Ostracized and Shamed. During her research Sarah started hearing stories of abuse toward women. In listening to their stories, what made an impact on her was the tremendous tenacity and courage of the women who had been abused. It wasn’t just about the assault; it was about what followed the assault. She began to feel a strong connection with these women and was inspired to do something on their behalf. Sarah discovered that there was a culture of abuse toward women in the military that undermines morale and destroys the health, minds, and careers of valuable women soldiers. These women were being subjected to violent sexual abuse. Typically men in the military perceive women as government property that they could do with what they chose. If a woman reports the abuse they are punished harshly. The perpetrators are protected, promoted and permitted to continue. The victims are isolated, ostracized and shamed.
Segment 4: Leadership Fail. Sarah believes there is a leadership failure within the military, and they cannot “train” their way out of this. There is a sense of entitlement in the military by men, as well as a hierarchical structure within the military so powerful that any woman reporting rape or sexual assault will find her superiors closing rank and protecting themselves instead of the victim. It is a target-rich environment for sexual assault and the leadership does not want to see it, know it, or deal with it. To find out more about Sarah’s invaluable work, visit http://www.womenunderfire.net/.
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