Strong Gunbalanya women working together to build a successful business

When a group of women in the west Arnhem Land community of Gunbalanya first got together to make handicrafts in a relaxed environment, little did they realise it was the first step towards building a thriving business opportunity.

The local ladies formed a group called “Birrimurrngrayek daluk daluk karribidyikarrmerren” (“Strong Women Working Together”), with the intention of developing a space where women could come together and talk to each other in language while making handicrafts.

With the support of the Australian Government’s Unlocking Gunbalanya’s Potential Project, the ladies have been introduced to candle making, tie dye, sewing, jewellery making and cooking.

The women quickly took to these activities, enjoying the opportunity to be in a relaxed space with each other and learning new skills. In late June the women conducted their first community market stall in Gunbalanya, selling over $400 of their products to locals and giving them the idea that they could turn their hobby into a business.

Since then, the women have continued to refine their range of products to a high quality that can be sold in shops. The owners of Darwin store Starwin were shown the products and were excited to stock the group’s large candles and tie dye bags, while requesting that the women make votive size candles as well.

In October, two members of the group attended a small business workshop in Darwin to gain ideas to bolster their business. The training workshop, delivered by Walkabout Your Business and funded by the Commonwealth Bank, also looked at what else the women needed to successfully run a business, and they took their new ideas back with them to Gunbalanya to share with the other ladies.

While sales are strong and business is booming, the ladies know that financial success is not the only target of the group, as they all enjoy engaging in activities with each other.

“Strong Women Working Together is good because women come from all camps to talk and make things," group member Jocelyn Koyole said, while fellow member Gabrielle Maralngurra saw that Strong Women Working Together was helping her save money.

“We are learning new things like mending clothes, not chucking them out," she said.