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NIU to present documentary ‘The Invisible War’

September 20, 2012

NIU’s Women’s Studies is hosting a free public screening of the new, award-winning documentary “The Invisible War” from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center.

Directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick, the groundbreaking investigative documentary reveals the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. Tracing the powerfully emotional stories of male and female veterans, the film reveals the systemic cover-up of crimes committed against them and follows their struggles to rebuild their lives and careers.

According to the Department of Defense (DoD), an estimated 19,000 male and female service members were assaulted in 2010. The DoD also states that 3,192 sexual assaults were reported in 2011, but only 1,518 of those reports led to referrals for disciplinary actions. Of those disciplinary actions, only 191 military members were convicted at courts martial.

Featuring hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress, “The Invisible War” urges civilians, veterans and active-duty military across the country to hold the U.S. military accountable for creating responsible, comprehensive and just policies for preventing and prosecuting rape and sexual violence among service members.

For more information, visit www.niu.edu/wstudies/news/InvisibleWar.

The event is presented by NIU’s Women’s Studies Program in partnership with the College of Education; Presidential Commission on the Status of Women; Phi Kappa Phi; Military Student Services; and Department of Communication; with sponsorship from Health Enhancement; College of Liberal Arts & Sciences External Programming; Womens Resource Center; Womens Rights Alliance; Enough is Enough; Center for the Study of Family Violence & Sexual Assault; Department of Political Science; Latino Resource Center; Counseling & Student Development Center; Safe Passage.