Lauren Wolfe is a journalist and director of the Women Under Siege Project. She has also been part of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for five years.[1] Wolfe has been investigating violence against women in conflict areas, especially sexual violence and rape, for many years. Wolfe has written for The Atlantic, The Guardian,[2] The International Herald Tribune and CNN.com.[3]

Biography

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Wolfe was born in Manhattan and first started working in the arts.[4]

Wolfe was part of the CPJ where she acted as a senior editor on the committee.[5] While at CPJ, Wolfe wrote an important report in 2011 called The Silencing Crime: Sexual Violence and Journalists in which she documents and examines sexual abuse of journalists in the field.[6] The report came soon after correspondent, Lara Logan, was sexually assaulted while reporting in Cairo.[7] Wolfe said that there had not been much data collected prior to Logan's assault.[7] Wolfe discovered that sexual violence was often used to threaten journalists and deter them from reporting and that those who were assaulted were afraid to tell anyone and risk their careers.[7]

In 2011, Wolfe was chosen to be the director of Women Under Siege, which is a project supported by the Women's Media Center (WMC).[4] Wolfe is a feminist who believes that rape is often caused through a culture of hyper-masculinity and honor.[8] In these cultures, women are property and often spoils of war.[8] By reporting on rape and the cultures that perpetuate sexual violence, Wolfe hopes to change and educate people.[9]

Wolfe was the recipient of the Frank Ochberg Award for Media and Trauma Study in 2012.[10]

Wolfe is also a consultant to media outlets who are looking to better cover reports of rape and sexualized violence.[4]


References

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  1. ^ Angyal, Chloe (20 April 2015). "The Trauma of Writing About Trauma". New Republic. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Lauren Wolfe". Action on Armed Violence. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Meet the Delegates - Nobel Women's Initiative" (PDF). Nobel Women's Initiative. 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Freleng, Maggie (19 March 2013). "Lauren Wolfe Crowdsources Rape, Sex Assault Data". WeNews. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. ^ Justice, Elaine (14 November 2013). "Journalist to Speak on Sexualized Violence in Syria, Beyond". Emory News Center. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  6. ^ Wolfe, Lauren (2011). "The Silencing Crime: Sexual Violence and Journalists". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Wax, Emily (7 June 2011). "Female Journalists Face Sexual Threats Abroad, Report Says". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  8. ^ a b Friedland, Elliot (12 August 2015). "ISIS: Dominance, Humiliation & Rape". The Jewish Voice. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  9. ^ Schroeder, Audra (8 January 2014). "The Terms That Lead People To This Anti-Sexual Violence Site Are Horrifying". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Awards". International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
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