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This Is How Many Sexual Assaults in the Military Were Reported Last Year


Following in the footsteps of last spring’s deeply misogynistic Marine nude photo scandal, the Department of Defense has released a report indicating the number of sexual assaults reported in the military during the 2016 fiscal year—and the numbers are pretty shocking. The Department of Defense received a total of 6,172 reports of sexual assault during from October 2015 to September 2016. (For the record, the Pentagon report defines sexual assault to also include attempts at it, as well as “sexual contact crimes.”)

That figure represents an increase of 90 reported assaults from 2015 and a significant increase from 2012’s reported count of 3,604 sexual assaults. As shocking as that is, these latest numbers are actually a conservative estimate, as Reuters, which first reported the story, points out: The Pentagon estimates that during the 2016 fiscal year, less than one-third of service members who experienced a sexual assault actually reported it. The military actually believes that rather than tracking reported assaults, doing a biannual, anonymous survey gives a clearer picture of the scale of sexual assault: during its latest such survey detailing 2016 incidents, 14,900 service members said they experienced some kind of sexual assault. That number is down from 20,300 in 2014, but let’s all agree that that’s still a lot (and that any number more than zero is too many).

Back to the 2016 report: This year marks the first time the military has broken down the number of assaults by location. It does clarify, however, that just because an assault was reported at a certain military base, it does not mean the actual crime occurred there. “This is because victims of sexual assault in the Department of Defense (DoD) may report a sexual assault at a time and place of their choosing,” the report points out.

According to the data, which was also broken down by branch, Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia counted 270 reported sexual assaults, while the one in San Diego had 187. The Army’s Fort Hood in Texas had 199, and Fort Bragg in North Carolina counted 169 reports. When it comes to the Marine Corps, Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina had 169, and Base Camp Pendleton in California had 157. Outside the country, U.S. bases in South Korea totaled a combined 211 reports.

After seeing these numbers, it’s clear that further measures need to be taken to keep service members safe. One potential tech-y development that might help protect them is the LiveSafe app the military is currently testing, which is aimed at preventing or addressing sexual assault. Of course, blame for these attacks still falls squarely on the shoulders of the people who are committing these crimes—as well as the systems that fail in holding them accountable.

Related Stories:
–Military Academy Sexual Assault: 50 Percent Rise in Reports
–Marines Shared Naked Pictures of Servicewomen on Facebook (Without Their Consent)
–Sexism in the Military Is Alive and Well



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The 2017 Women of the Year Awards Red Carpet: See All the Looks


Every year, the Glamour Women of the Year awards brings out inspiring and talented women from all industries, backgrounds, and ages—and the 2017 event, which took place on Monday at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York, was no exception. On a night that’s all about celebrating women and what makes us beautiful, strong, and, well, freakin’ amazing, we certainly want to take a second to praise all the stunning outfits the honorees and guests wear. Because, as Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said while honoring Glamour‘s Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive, “Yes, you can care about finding the right pair of boots for fall and finding the right march to wear them to.” Take a look at the gorgeous dresses—and pants—on the red carpet at the 28th annual Women of the Year awards.



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The Original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter Presents Patty Jenkins With Her Woman of the Year Award


On a night filled with countless wonderful women, we were lucky enough to be in the presence of two bonafide Wonder Women. At Monday night’s Women of the Year Awards, the O.G. Wonder Woman, the fabulous Lynda Carter, presented honoree and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins with her award. Their friendship is actual squad goals (Justice League goals?), and Carter said of Jenkins, “She is a force to be reckoned with and she always has been.”

Carter added, “She got the essence of Wonder Woman because it lives inside her. She took the challenge of this miracle of an ideas and an iconic ’70s TV show and she made the ‘she’ become the ‘we’ on the big screen all over the world.”

In accepting her award, Jenkins acknowledged and thanked the loving, inspiring, and impactful Wonder Women in her own life. “No person’s an island,” she said, acknowledging what it means to have a Wonder Woman to look up to in 2017. Wonder Woman “stands for a new kind of hero who is strong and powerful and can fight the bad guy, but also believes in love and thoughtfulness.”

That sequel can’t come soon enough.



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Serena Williams Makes Her First Appearance Since Giving Birth at Glamour's Women of the Year Awards


Serena Williams has been nothing short of ecstatic when it comes to sharing every aspect of her life as a new mom. The only thing that can even come close to matching that excitement? Apparently, it’s Gigi Hadid.

In her first public appearance since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. on September 1, Williams stepped out at Glamour‘s 2017 Women of the Year Awards to introduce honoree Hadid. “Gigi, you’re one of the few people on this planet I would leave my baby for one night,” the tennis champ told the packed crowd at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Monday night.

The feeling, naturally, is mutual. “Serena, I just want to say you have been such a beautiful light in my life for so many years, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to call you my friend.” Hadid said after she took the stage to accept her award. “I love you so much, so thank you.”

And while this is our first glimpse of the new mom in person, Williams has been relatively visible on social media over the first two months of Alexis’ life. The athlete, who posted frequent updates throughout her pregnancy, has been equally vocal now that her daughter has made her world debut about everything from buying diapers for the first time to her hopes and dreams for her baby girl, detailed in an emotional open letter.

Serena, might we request some social meeting documentation of little Alexis’s first time meeting her Auntie Gigi, too?



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Nicole Kidman Got Subtly Political While Accepting Her 'Glamour' Women of the Year Award


When director Sofia Coppola took the stage to introduce a Glamour Women of the Year honoree and friend (whom she directed in this year’s “The Beguiled”), she described her as “one of the great classic actresses of our era.” Obviously, she was talking about Nicole Kidman. Name a more iconic duo, we’ll wait.

Already an Oscar winner, Kidman won an Emmy this year for her wrenching portrayal as a victim of domestic abuse in “Big Little Lies,” in addition to being a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.

Upon going up to accept her award, she noted that Coppola was “an example to all of you who want to be female directors that you can do it. Sofia is female power.” And then she turned the spotlight on everyone else in the room and watching at home: “Let’s use this moment to celebrate what makes us, us.” She also gave a touching tribute to her husband Keith Urban, acknowledging that having a strong man on your side can be an asset as good as any other. “As much as I’m a strong woman, I need help and I need support.”

But she ended the night urging people not to seek comfort solely with people who are too much like us. “I truly believe that we must share the good love that we receive whenever we see it’s needed,” she said. “It’s about building bridges, because bridges bring about new adventures and change, and that’s what we need—change.”

Read Nicole’s entire speech, below.

Thank you, Glamour, for this wonderful honor.  This has been the most
extraordinary year. I use that word extraordinary in all of its
meanings.  We’re in uncharted waters.

But as we take tonight to celebrate—and I bow down to the other
honorees for their phenomenal contributions to art, culture,
exploration, human rights —I want to take a moment to say this is a
celebration of us.  What makes us us.

In my household growing up, everyone was equal.  Maybe it was because
it was a house full of scientists and academics. Or because it was the
’70s in Australia and it was a time of demonstration and change. I had
a feminist mother, but I also had a father who was supportive and
loving. It was so much about union and support. I was very fortunate
to be the recipient of these parents – supportive, empowering,
encouraging. That was their love…what we call in my home now good
love. And that is something I want to pass along to not just my own
children, but to those around me.

I’m a sister, I’m a mother, daughter, I’m a wife, I’m a career
woman…I’m a mother to four loving children, daughter of a formidable
mother and father and wife of a truly good man.  It is who I am, why
I’m standing here tonight. And I am aware that not everybody has been
as lucky as I have been.

As much as we gravitate, with all of this going on in the world, to a
safe place, to the people most like us—the people whose gender,
sexuality, race or politics we share—I’m convinced the galvanization
of all of us together is essential. I truly believe we must share the
good love wherever we see it’s needed.

One of the first things I learned in my work with UN Women to support women survivors of
violence is how critical the solidarity of others is. The feeling that
they are not alone. That there is help. So let’s speak out. Let’s
offer our support and create change. It is about building bridges.
Bridges bring understanding, empathy, bring change…

I feel deeply indebted to the people in my life who made me, me.  It
has led me to this point, to this year. To my life and my purpose in
life.  I suppose what I want to say is thank you.  Thank you for
supporting and embracing me, for allowing me to fail and to fall down
and get back up, brush off my knees, even if they’re bloodied and
fly. Thank you for the good love.  I promise to pass it on.



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Watch Maxine Waters Start an "Impeach!" Chant at the 2017 Glamour Women of the Year Awards


One of the highlights of this year’s Glamour Women of the Year Awards (which took place Monday, November 13) was honoree Maxine Waters’ speech, where she repeatedly called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Yup.

“You recognize when a leader is irresponsible. You recognize when a leader is dishonorable and disrespectful. You recognize when a leader is dangerous,” the California congresswoman said. “Even if that leader is the President of the United States of America.”

With this, the crowd that filled Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre erupted into applause, and their excitement only grew when Waters started chanting, “Impeach 45! Impeach 45!” It quickly turned into one of the evening’s mantras, and by the end of her speech, nearly everyone in the crowd was yelling it too.

She continued, “And I want you to have courage. I want you to know that you can stand up to him or anybody else. For those who say to me, ‘You are asking for something too soon and too early, be careful, don’t jeopardize yourself, don’t say what you’re saying right now,’ I will continue to say, ‘Impeach him! Impeach him! Impeach him!”

Waters became a social media sensation when millennials noticed her progressive and incredibly inclusive political viewpoints. Her popularity reached a fever pitch in the summer of 2017, when a video of her repeatedly saying, “reclaiming my time” to an interrupting United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin went viral. (She was questioning him during a House Financial Services Committee.)

Zendaya introduced Waters at the awards ceremony, and her tribute speech was equally as inspiring. “Have you ever been the only woman in a room? What about the only Black woman in a room? Our next honoree has reminded us over and over again when we are faced with the despair and defeating odds of that room, we can not allow it to intimidate us,” she said. “[Waters] she teaches us how to let it fuel us…She reminds us that we must be fearless in how we represent ourselves in a room where we are not always being represented.”

Related Stories:

Congresswoman Maxine Waters Speaks Truth to Power: ‘Directly, and Aggressively, Without Apology’



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