Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council discusses key issues facing Aboriginal women at roundtable event

“Aboriginal people are the experts in their own lives. They have the solutions, but no one’s asking them.” This statement from Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council board member Val Ross encapsulates the ethos behind the council, which hosted a three-day roundtable, Collective Leadership – Rise Up in Broome from November 11-13. The event drew more than 70 women, including business leaders, politicians, and women from remote communities across the Kimberley, with special inclusion of women from the South West and from remote Northern Territory communities. Founded in 2021 by current CEO Janine Dureau, KAWC’s decision not to apply for Government grants was strategic. “KAWC applied only for philanthropic funding because they didn’t want to be tied to government grant conditions,” Ms Ross said. “They wanted freedom of speech to address the issues in the community and not be tied to any grant conditions on how to develop strategies.” Over the three days Aboriginal leaders, including patron June Oscar, gave presentations and fostered discussions on key issues Aboriginal women face throughout the Kimberley. Among these were domestic violence, lack of housing, alcohol and drug dependence, and food insecurity for women living in remote communities. According to WA Police statistics, the rate of family assaults in the Kimberley is more than 16.5 times that of the metropolitan area — 11,366 assaults per 100,000 people, compared with 682 in the metro area in 2022-23. The Kimberley also recorded 23 times the rate of serious family assaults the metro area did. KAWC chairperson Selena O’Meara said a significant challenge Aboriginal women faced in her home town of Derby, 220km north-west of Broome, was a lack of advocacy and support services for those experiencing domestic violence. “Women suffering from domestic violence can go to the refuge, hospital, and police station,” she said. “But at the end of the day, when they are released, there is no place for them to get extra support.” She said safe housing was essential to support Aboriginal women affected by domestic violence. During her address, Ms Oscar emphasised the need for a women’s rehabilitation centre in the Kimberley. There are only two rehabilitation centres in the Kimberley: Milliya Rumurra in Broome, and 7 Mile Rehabilitation Centre in Wyndham. “June had strong words about Aboriginal women receiving treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in the Kimberley region, and not just sending these mothers away, because they don’t last when they’re away from country,” Ms Ross said. This year’s roundtable debuted Imperfect Allies inviting non-Aboriginal businesswomen and government workers to create links and connections with Aboriginal women in the region. Native American woman Joan Timeche of the Hopi Tribe, the executive director of the Native Nations Institute for leadership, management and policy at The University of Arizona spoke to the women about the importance of female leadership. Ms Ross underscored the gravity of building supportive connections with Indigenous women from other countries, highlighting how these relationships fostered mutual learning and growth through shared experiences. “Ms Timeche invited a delegation of KAWC members to visit and do an exchange at the University of Arizona to learn from each other on how the strategies of empowering women in Native America compares . . . with Aboriginal women, because we have a lot of similarities and some differences as well,” she said.