WARNING: Distressing content.
In a historic first, the Federal Government has launched Our Ways Strong Together, a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Peak Body for Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence.
Created in collaboration with the Coalition of Peaks, Our Ways Strong Together gathers a range Aboriginal community-controlled organisations across all states and territories, including specialist family, domestic and sexual violence services, legal and health services and peak bodies.
The network build within Our Ways Strong Together will inform and shape government policies and programs with the contribution of grassroots knowledge, frontline and lived experience and community-controlled methodologies.
For Our Ways Interim Chair and Torres Strait Island woman, Donnella Mills, the peak body is the culmination of decades of advocacy from the community-controlled sector.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations are trusted, place-based service providers, designed by and for our people. They succeed because they are grounded in culture, local knowledge and accountability to our communities," she said.
Our Ways Strong Together is built from community, for community.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and peak bodies have been leading this work for generations without a national, integrated sector body to represent them. Today we unite their voices at a national level."
She believes Our Ways Strong Together is about "strength, culture and healing".
"It’s about ensuring our communities have the integrated support they need to keep families and communities safe."
As it stands, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are seven times more likely to be victims of intimate partner homicide than non-Indigenous women.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 27 times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be hospitalised because of family violence and those living in remote or regional areas are 41 times more likely.
They're statistics the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek, says are "unacceptable".
"The government recognises we must turn that around."
She said the peak body, alongside the recently announced dedicated national action plan to address family, domestic and sexual violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices, are important steps to addressing the disproportionate violence.
“Our Ways Strong Together will represent and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations working on family, domestic and sexual violence across the country," she said.
The peak body progresses the Government's work towards Target 13 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which seeks to reduce family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by at least 50 per cent in the next five years.
“The launch of Our Ways Strong Together delivers on our government’s commitment to establish a national First Nations peak body to address family, domestic and sexual violence," said Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy.
“Our Ways Strong Together represents the community-controlled organisations and services who have been working to support survivors over many years.
“Strengthening the community-controlled sector is an important part of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, as all governments work with communities to end family, domestic and sexual violence.”
Five women have been appointed to the peak body, including Western Arrernte woman and long standing community-controlled advocate Olga Havnen AM as Chief Executive Officer.
Serving as Director the Interim Board, alongside Chair Ms Mills, is Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung, Boon Wurrung Elder and Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency CEO, Muriel Bamblett AO.
Torres Strait Islander woman, Chair of First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence and Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service Wynetta Dewis and Executive Director of Coalition of Peaks Secretariat Lisa Charles are also interim Board Members.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms Bamblett labelled family, domestic and sexual violence as "everyone's issue" believing because of its affect on entire communities it "requires a coordinated national response".
Real change comes from investing in prevention, supporting families early and backing the community organisations that people trust.
“Our communities and community-controlled services know what works. With the right support, community-led solutions can support families and communities to create lasting change," she said.
For Ms Bamblett, Our Ways Stronger Together will empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services to lead responses to violence in their own communities.
“Our Ways Strong Together will focus on strengthening community-led approaches that address the complex drivers of violence, including trauma, housing insecurity, poverty and systemic inequality," she said.
The peak body is funded through the $218.3 million investment dedicated to the Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence.
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