The Marshall University Women’s Center, in conjunction with CONTACT Rape Crisis Center, will sponsor a screening of “The Invisible War,” an investigative documentary about rape within the U.S. military. It will be shown at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, in room BE-5 of the Memorial Student Center, and is free and open to the public.
The film follows several veteran survivors of military sexual assault who tell their powerfully emotional stories and their efforts to rebuild their lives and seek justice, while revealing the systemic cover-up of rapes within the military. Nominated for an Academy Award and the winner of an award at the Sundance Film Festival, this documentary has exposed a culture of widespread sexual harassment and sexual assault, and is credited for encouraging victims to come forward and for publicly forcing the military to deal more openly with the problem of sexual assault within its ranks.
Immediately following the screening, there will be a panel discussion regarding treatment of military sexual assault and victim advocacy. Panelists will include treatment providers from the Huntington Veterans Administration, Marshall Counseling Center and CONTACT Rape Crisis Center of Huntington. Representatives from Marshall Psychology Clinic will also be available to provide information about mental health treatment.
The Women’s Center is hosting this event as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Other events for the month include “Red Flag Day” on Marshall’s Huntington campus on Thursday, April 24, which encourages students to identify red flags for stalking, sexual assault, and relationship violence.
