The allegations from an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous People coincide with the launch of Our Watch, an initiative of the Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children.
NITV spoke with Professor Megan Davis, who is part of an Indigenous delegation to the United Nation’s World Conference on Indigenous People in New York that will feature women’s rights.
Before the initiative launch, Professor Davis, an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous People, said violence against women was the number one human rights issue for Australia – but said it was slow to make progress in regards to Indigenous women.
“Bringing rights into the psyche has always been a challenge,” she said.
“We can accurately be described as a rights reluctant culture.”
'In Australia, Indigenous women are 31 times more likely to become victims of violence'
The United Nations Human Rights Council recognises Indigenous women and their children as the most susceptible groups to human rights abuses in the world because they are at risk of experiencing multiple forms of discrimination, including race and gender, age and disabilities.
In Australia, Indigenous women are 31 times more likely to become victims of violence, according to a 2011 Australian Productivity Commission report.
Aboriginal musician and activist Marlene Cummins, known for her involvement in Australia’s Black Panther Movement, says she has experienced it for much of her life.
“I’m telling you the truth about what it’s like as an Aboriginal woman being homeless and aimless on the streets and what I was subjected to,” Ms. Cummins said.
She said sexual abuse was rampant within her community.
“[People say] non-Indigenous men didn’t have any white women [in my community] so they ‘went’ with Aboriginal women,” she said.
“‘Went’ with them? They violated them, they took little girls out and cut their hair…to make them look like young boys…and had them on the side to sexually exploit them.
“You just grow up with it, it’s just like I grew up with death in custody.”
'We can accurately be described as a rights reluctant culture'
The recent death in custody of a 22-year-old woman Western Australia, who was detained for an unpaid fine, questions the country’s commitment to protecting women and their children.
Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths and Custody in 1991, the proportion of Indigenous women in prisons has increased from 18 to 33 per cent, according to data from the Australian Human Rights Commission and the University of New South Wales.
“Why is that?” Professor Davis said.
“Unpaid fines. The choices that the police make when women ring up for protection from violence. The first thing that these frontline offices do is search that woman’s name and uncover any unpaid fines and that victim of domestic violence is arrested.”
However, Senator Michaelia Cash said the country is comprehensively addressing the problem.
Senator Cash, who helped launch the national program on Friday, said she disagreed with Professor Davis’ comments and referred to the Australian Government’s Second Action Plan.
'In order to protect their rights, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women need to know their rights'
Running from 2013 to 2016 as part of the four-step National Action Plan, she said promises to improve Indigenous women’s rights.
“The unique experiences of different groups of women would be fed into the second plan,” she said.
“So what you have under the second plan is the carve out of three different groups of women who experience violence in a very, very different way to most Australian women. Those women are culturally and linguistically diverse women, women with disabilities, and in relation to the comments that Ms Davis has made, Indigenous women.”
Meanwhile, Indigenous organisations are worried that the government’s recent budget will impact upon important work that they are undertaking to protect women and their children.
Shannon Williams, Senior Community Access Officer of the Indigenous Women’s Legal Program at Women’s Legal Services NSW, said her organisation has concerns about the uncertainty of funding of programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
“In order to protect their rights, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women need to know their rights,” Ms Williams said.
“Services like our [program] deliver community legal education in a culturally safe way to women in regional and rural areas in NSW to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
“It is essential there is adequate, ongoing and sustainable funding of specialist culturally safe services, including specialist Aboriginal women services, such as our Indigenous Women’s Legal Program.”
NITV Channel Manager Tanya Orman will join the high-level plenary meeting later this month.
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