Montana’s Oil fields brim with jobs and prosperity for many rural areas, but they also bring a litany of crime and violence, especially violence against women. To complicate matters, the data is slim. Crisis centers and law enforcement report increased numbers of crimes, but Montana needs to do better job of assisting female victims and of tracking women’s health and safety issues in energy extraction areas.

As part of the PUBH 599 Professional Paper requirement for MPH candidates, Kelly Parsley presented her paper “Sexual Assault in the Oil Fields:  The Price Women Pay for Domestic Oil” at the annual conference of the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence September 9^th in Helena, MT.  

Parsley’s presentation focused on current academic research on violence against women in energy extraction areas. She shared with participants some current tools such as gender impact statements and private/public partnerships that some communities are using to better address violence in oil field areas.  She also addressed the need for better tools and training to track the extent of the problem. 

“This is important work and I am so glad the MPH program and Dr. Molgaard supported me in completing this project,” said Parsley. “I feel like it might just help out some communities struggling to address women’s health and safety in our Montana boom towns!

The Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence hosted their Annual Conference, Advocating For Change:  Working Together to Improve Services for Sexual Assault Survivors on September 9-10, 2015 at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel in Helena, MT. This conference focused on how we can work together to improve systems and services for sexual assault survivors. The conference brought together victim advocates, law enforcement, attorneys, educators, health professionals, and other community members who wanted to learn about how they could work together to provide informed and comprehensive services to sexual assault survivors.

Kelly's session:  participants will learn what the current academic research says about violence against women in energy extraction areas, tools that some communities are using to better track the extent of the problem and will discuss policies and laws that some boom towns have implemented to limit violence against women.