At the halfway point of Women's Health Week the work of Jaki Adams is being celebrated, a woman whose life has been dedicated to care, equity and community.

Ms Adams was born and raised in Garramilla on Larrakia Country. She carries with her deep connections to the Yadhaigana and Wuthathi peoples of Cape York, the Gurindji and Kungarakan peoples of the Northern Territory, and extended ties across the Torres Strait and Warlpiri Country.

Her identity is not something she puts on for certain occasions. It is at the heart of who she is and how she walks through the world.

For more than 30 years Ms Adams has been working across government, community and international development, always finding her way back to the same purpose - to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As the Lowitja Institute's Executive Manager of Research and Knowledge Translation, Ms Adams carries forward the legacy of Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue and supports the vision of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and leadership driving change.

Before this, her work with The Fred Hollows Foundation saw her lead the Indigenous Australia Program and later the Social Justice and Regional Engagement portfolio, strengthening partnerships across Australia, the Pacific, Timor Leste, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In recent years, Ms Adams' impact has been recognised widely, though she remains the first to deflect attention away from herself.

She is known for her humility, always acknowledging those who walked alongside her and those who came before her.

Her work has championed health equity, strengthened eye care relationships in Australia and across the Pacific, and helped drive the agenda of the Allies for Uluru Coalition.

At every step she has lifted the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in Australia and overseas. This commitment reflects who she is, both personally and professionally.

Ms Adams has never wavered in her determination to do whatever she can to improve the health and wellbeing of her people, to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are leading decision making, and to advocate for the right to sight, good health and self-determination across the globe.

When Ms Adams speaks about what first inspired her, it is simple and deeply human.

"I have an innate desire to care for and support others. It is who I am and who I have always been," she said.

"I guess this was instilled in me at an early age and I have run with it ever since."

Ms Adams is a reminder that access to health is a human right and that too often systems fail Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Her lived experience as a woman has taught her that stories and wisdom, when shared, can let others know they are never alone.

Ms Adams often says Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have always been the trailblazers of health.

She points to the legacy of women such as Mum Shirl and Jilpia Napaljari Jones, whose courage created pathways for so many.

Delivering the inaugural Jilpia Napaljari Jones Memorial Oration in Garramilla in 2022 was one of her proudest moments.

When Ms Adams reflects on the women she works alongside today, her words carry both gratitude and conviction.

"I work alongside brilliant and inspiring women every day and am lucky to have the support and guidance of a broader network," she said.

"There is a sisterhood or a tidderism that keeps us motivated to continue to find the solutions and make the health system better for everyone."

Ms Adams sees health in its truest sense, not confined to the clinic or the diagnosis but in the fullness of life.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's health and wellbeing is so much broader than the clinical diagnosis and treatment," she said.

"We feel differently and take on the burdens of our children, our families, and our communities differently."

Ms Adams says women must be at the table where decisions are made, because they know their own minds, bodies and spirits best.

During Women's Health Week, her reflections are both a celebration and a call to action.

"My hope is that my approach, experiences, and connections have encouraged others to be strong in their identity, values, culture, and knowledge and have the courage to challenge from within systems and shift narratives to the betterment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," she said.

Ms Adams is a reminder that investing in the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is investing in the strength of families and communities.

She also speaks with balance, acknowledging men's health is just as vital if we are to truly shift outcomes across the board.

Ms Adams does not seek recognition for herself, but instead works to honour those before her, to stand firmly with those alongside her, and to pave the way for those still to come.

Her leadership is guided by humility, her impact is carried in quiet strength, and her story is a reminder of the power of care, culture and courage.

Ms Adams' journey is a reflection on how lives can be lived with purpose to make a difference for generations to come.