Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices)

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO, has spent the past year travelling across Australia.

She has been speaking directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls in regional and remote locations.

The project June is leading, Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices), was launched late last year and aims to elevate the voices of Indigenous women to ensure a greater voice in future government policy decisions.

Throughout the consultation, the team  explored:

• The needs, aspirations and challenges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls are facing today
• Ways to enhance the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls
• Ways to promote and protect culture
• Key achievements.

The last time a consultation focused solely on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls was 30 years ago. The Women’s Business Report (1986) was headed by two Aboriginal women, Phyllis Daylight and Mary Johnstone. It gave significant insight into the roles that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women played in both their families and communities.

June Oscar recently spoke about the goals of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani project. 

“It is about them setting their priorities, setting and sharing with us the elements of family, community and broader society that speaks to their ability to feel supported, to be supported, to know that they’re supported and for them to speak honestly about what it is that undermines their right to succeed and how we can change that and what is their message that they would like the Prime Minister to hear,” June said.

June Oscar and her team will continue consulting in person at a few more places until 7 December 2018.

For those who wish to be involved but cannot attend in person, an online survey and submission process is available at wiyiyaniuthangani.humanrights.gov.au.