Hey you mob!

This year, we’re celebrating NAIDOC Week by honouring the incredible women who have paved the way for over 50 years so that Djirra can have the impact it has.

We’re pleased to present a series of Koori Women’s Place workshops across the state:

🖤 Customised tees with @gamminthreads (Mildura)
💛 Craft activities (Traralgon)
❤️ Wood burning (Abbotsford)
🖤 Blak Trivia (Melton)

As part of our regional expansion, we`re proud to be bringing more KWP events to communities across the state, creating more opportunities for Aboriginal women to connect, heal and celebrate together.

Swipe for workshop details, then contact kwp@djirra.org.au or 1800 105 303 to register – be quick to sign up as these events will book out!

We look forward to celebrating 50 Years of Deadly together. 🖤✨❤️

#NAIDOCWeek #NAIDOC26 #50YearsOfDeadly

Yesterday, Djirra stood alongside the community legal sector at Parliament House for the launch of “Community Legal – We`ve Got Your Back”, the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria state election campaign.

Together, we are calling for increased investment over the next five years in our vital work.

Every day, Djirra witnesses the way systems respond to Aboriginal women seeking safety.

The message is clear. Seek safety and your children are likely to be removed. Seek safety and you are likely to be criminalised and incarcerated.

This is why Djirra`s work is so critical.

Aboriginal women must have immediate access to specialist legal representation, advocacy and support.

As our CEO @Antoinette_Braybrook AM said yesterday:

"Funding must increase so that Aboriginal women have access to a specialist advocate and know that an entire organisation stands beside her and has her back.

We agree that Aboriginal women must have choice of service. But if Djirra`s specialist services are not funded to operate in an area, then there is no real choice.

And when it comes to Child Protection, our call for a Child Protection Notification Referral System is simple.

Aboriginal mothers should be immediately referred to Djirra for legal advice and representation when Child Protection becomes involved.

After all, the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
is legally represented on child protection matters. Why shouldn`t Aboriginal mothers be?"

#WeveGotYourBack #CommunityLegalCentres #Djirra #AboriginalWomen #FamilyViolence #AccessToJustice @communitylawvic

Last week, our CEO attended a roundtable with Aboriginal advocates and allies from across the country to discuss the urgent action required almost two years on from the Senate Inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Girls. The meeting was convened by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, together with Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin, and hosted by the Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia.

Over two years ago, the families of murdered and violently disappeared Aboriginal women and girls provided evidence to the Senate Inquiry, giving their time, opening their hearts, and sharing their painful stories about the mothers, aunties, sisters and daughters whose lives were not valued, taken by male violence and racist systems.

Our contribution to last week’s roundtable was clear, with @Antoinette_Braybrook AM saying “We have the solutions to keeping Aboriginal women and children safe. What is missing is the investment. Governments must commit to increased and long-term funding to support specialist frontline Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations such as Djirra and other Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services that put Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children’s safety first.”

Dr Hannah McGlade, among many other women, spoke about her important advocacy including bringing cases involving murdered, missing and wrongfully incarcerated women before the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This important work to address systemic and gender based discrimination to First Nations women is not adequately valued by governments, and must be supported to ensure governments, systems and perpetrators are held accountable.

We have spoken our truths again and again.
We demand action.
Aboriginal women deserve an advocate.
Advocacy for Aboriginal women must be invested in.

#MissingAndMurderedIndigenousWomenAndGirls #MMIWG #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter #WeHaveTheSolutions @gg_australia