The Queensland Government has thrown it's support behind Wiyi Yani U Thangani (women's voices) a project designed to support the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls.
Compiled through a joint partnership between the Australian Human Rights Commission and the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Wiyi Yani U Thangani aims to initiate a nation-wide conversation to elevate the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls.
The multi-year initiative lead by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has sought to identify First Nations women and girls' strengths, challenges and aspirations for change.
In announcing the Queensland Government's support of the project, Attorney-General and Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman said the project is a groundbreaking moment in highlighting the voices of Indigenous females.
"Wiyi Yani U Thangani represents a watershed moment in ensuring the voices of First Nations women and girls are heard as part of the national conversation," she said.
"This Government recognises how important the views and goals of First Nations women are, which is why we have included a statement of support for the report and project in the new Queensland Women's Strategy."
Beginning in 2018, the commissioner and her team travelled 50 urban, regional and remote across all states and territories, conducting meeting with 2 294 women of all ages across 106 engagements.
Ms Fentiman said the report identified that although Indigenous women and girls provide strength to their communities, their contributions are not always acknowledged.
"The report highlights that First Nations women and girls are the backbone of their communities - they are strong, resilient and succeed in all walks of life," she said.
"However, too often these contributions and successes have not been given the recognition or value they deserve and have often been over-looked by governments and our institutions.
"As part of the new women's strategy we are determined to give First Nations women the recognition they deserve and the opportunity to have their say in all we do."
Published in December 2020, the Wiyi Yani U Thangani report details the structural inequalities and unacceptable poverty, trauma and discrimination that First Nations women and girls live with in Australia that must be addressed and overcome.
In response to these inequalities the report proposes an ambitious and necessary First Nations female-led plan for structural change.
Queensland Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Craig Crawford said that signing the statement of support builds on the state government's commitment to Closing the Gap in Queensland preceding the release of its Path to Treaty report.
"This is about overcoming significant injustices that still persist in our society and is an important step towards building a better future for Queensland," he said.
"We are committed to contributing to the achievement of the objectives of Wiyi Yani U Thangani through our own strategies and programs for Queensland's First Nations women and girls."
The Wiyi Yani U Thangani project marks the first time since 1986 that First Nations women and girls have been consulted as a collective about their rights, needs and aspirations.
