The murder of IU student Hannah Wilson in April provided a starting point for a discussion on Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.
Daniel Messel, Wilson’s accused murderer, had a record of violence against women as far back as the 1980s, the IDS reported.
The commission suggested an update to its 2013 report, “A Review of the Community Response to Domestic Violence in Monroe County, Indiana, in 2009,” which analyzed domestic violence arrests and prosecutions.
The Commission received updates about the Monroe County Women's Commission, which will meet with the township branch for the third in a series of surveys on additional women’s concerns on Oct. 20.
Debby Herbenick of the IU School of Public Health said the focus group will likely bring up many of the issues that local women in the previous surveys have identified as prevalent issues, like work-life balance.
“It’s pretty consistent stuff, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone that many women express concern about health care and unequal pay and childcare,” Herbenick said. “It is incredible, just country-wide, just how little we offer in terms of parental leave.”
Open-ended surveys were disseminated at the Monroe County Fair during the summer.
The commission invited trustees from local townships to raise issues that concern women in their jurisdiction.
After the final round of information-gathering Oct. 20, Herbenick said the Bloomington and Monroe County commissions will meet to discuss issues to focus on in local government.
The Thursday meeting did not have a quorum, the minimum number of committee members necessary to vote or approve new measures.
The members discussed the commission’s continual short-handedness. The number of people on the status of women commission is down one seat from the usual nine and has been for about nine months, Crabtree said.
“We’re short-handed on commissioners and have been for some time now,” Crabtree said. “We all work full-time jobs, too, so that limits the amount of work we’re able to do individually.”
The commission has requested permission from the City of Bloomington to expand to 11 members.
