Running head: SEXISM AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY News Report Research Component: Sexism and Sexual Harassment in the Military Sam P. Student University of Maryland Global Campus 1 SEXISM AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY 2 I decided to explore the topic of sexism and sexual harassment in the military. I chose this topic because I was not very familiar with this problem that many women face in the military. The article that I read last week was centered around female veterans’ experiences with sexism and discrimination at the V.A. Hospital. I decided that I wanted to know more about this topic as well as how women who are actively serving are affected. I found a lot of great articles in the Women’s Studies database by using the keywords sexism and military. I also made sure to refine my search to peer-reviewed journals as well. Callegari, L. S., Tartaglione, E. V., Magnusson, S. L., Nelson, K. M., Arteburn, D. E., Szarka, J., … Borrero, S. (2019). Understanding women veterans’ family planning counseling experiences and preferences to inform patient-centered care. Women's Health Issues, 29(3), 283–289. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2019.03.002 This research journal article investigated what type of experience female veterans would have when they received family planning counseling at two different V.A. Hospitals. Their findings were that nearly all of the female veterans experienced some type of gender-based discrimination. Many of the women who were seeking contraceptive methods reported feeling like their doctors were pressuring them to use a certain kind. Another woman felt as though she couldn't talk honestly with her doctor because of a fear of being discriminated against not only because of her gender but also her race. One woman who suffered from PTSD stated that when she told her male doctor about her problems that he “blew her off” and told her that is was “all in her head” (2019). SEXISM AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY 3 Out of all 32 female veterans who participated in the study only a few were able to say that they did not receive any type of discrimination. The research journal article relates to the news article because it backs up the topics that were discussed. The female veterans who participated in the study still received discrimination even after going to a hospital that specializes in women’s care. One of the solutions in the news article to help fix this problem was to bring in more women specialized in women’s care to help female veterans. But this research journal article shows that even if that was the case women would still receive discrimination. Both of these resources also pointed out the fact that the number of female veterans is only going to keep rising so something needs to be done about this problem right away. This research journal deepened my understanding by providing multiple examples of the type of discrimination that the female veterans were experiencing and then showing what could have been done better to make the women feel more comfortable. Cheney, A., Reisinger, H., Booth, B., Mengeling, M., Torner, J., & Sadler, A. (2015). Servicewomen’s strategies to staying safe during military service. Gender Issues, 32(1), 1-18. https://doi-org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.1007/s12147-014-9128-8 This research journal article was already aware of the numerous studies that were done on women experiencing sexual harassment in the military, so they decided to focus their research on the methods that women use to keep themselves safe. They concluded that women use a number of strategies such as wearing non-feminine clothing to blend in, having support networks, and using their rank as a “barrier” (2015). These findings show that women have to go through so much to protect themselves which can, in turn, affect their overall health and well-being. Rank played a SEXISM AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY 4 huge role in this experiment as well. The researchers concluded that women who were of a higher rank were almost immune to harassment because of their social status. In response to this, higherranking females would often take lower-ranking females under their wing to help protect them. The research journal article and news article show that discrimination and sexual harassment are everywhere in the military and it does not matter if you are actively serving or a veteran. The women in the news article I read also had to find ways to protect themselves just like the women in the research journal. One example showed how women would write down descriptions of men that they see just in case they have to report them for sexual assault. It is sad that women have to deal with this type of harassment when they are deployed and away from their families as well as in their own communities. This research article deepened my understanding by showing me that women have to fight and stand up for themselves wherever they go. It also made me realize how far this problem has spread throughout the military and made me wonder if we will ever see the end of it. 
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