WMC Commends ABC News for Exposing Rape Allegations Against U.S. Contractor in Iraq
December 11, 2007
The Women’s Media Center Commends ABC News for Exposing Rape Allegations Against U.S. Contractor in Iraq; Urges Other Media Outlets to Spotlight Larger Issue of Violence Against Women in War
New York – The following is a statement from Carol Jenkins, president of the Women’s Media Center:
“The Women’s Media Center commends ABC News for reporting on allegations of rape and cover-up on the part of U.S. contractors Halliburton/KBR in Iraq. As part of an upcoming 20/20 report on ABC, reporters Brian Ross, Maddy Sauer and Justin Rood wrote on the experiences of Jamie Leigh Jones, a former employee of Halliburton/KBR who reports that she was raped by colleagues while working for the company in Iraq.
“Jones was rescued from Iraq, and is now telling her story—the story of abuse and threats many women could tell—but they’ve been silenced. It is time for the media to lift its embargo on the voices of women working in war zones, whether in the military, or like Jamie Leigh Jones, as private contractors.
“At the same time, we must tell the stories of Iraqi women – and others like them in conflict zones across the globe, who experience the spread of violence as a result of conflict. As reported earlier this month by Reuters, more than 40 women in Basra have been killed this year for not wearing Islamic dress and adhering to traditions —a gender specific epidemic that must be exposed, and halted.
“The Women’s Media Center continues to tackle the issue through an ongoing campaign, “Women and Iraq,” with coverage and analysis available at www.womensmediacenter.com.
“We urge all media to turn their attention to these stories as well.”
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