News today that the Pentagon plans to change some of its long-standing rules on women in combat, to reflect the reality that the ban currently in place does not represent the reality on the battlefield. Lioness, a film that influenced this policy change, aired on Independent Lens in 2008 (and was rebroadcast in December 2011).
In 2009, The Center for Social Media said: “Lioness shows how a documentary positioned at the centerpiece of a strategic outreach campaign can put an issue on the public agenda and have a direct impact on public policy.” A recommendation included in the The National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2010 was the direct result of a March 31, 2009 screening and events surrounding the film on Capitol Hill, which was supported by key members of Congress. The insert was called “Recognizing Service Women Who Have Participated as ‘Lionesses’ During Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
