The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence is now underway, uniting millions of people from November 25 to December 10 in a global movement to end violence against women and girls.
These dates carry deep meaning. The movement began in 1991 and honours the Mirabal sisters, three young activists murdered in the Dominican Republic in 1960 for resisting dictatorship. Their story sparked an international call to action that continues to inspire communities through marches, school programs, workshops and conversations that challenge harmful beliefs and champion the safety of women and girls.
Here in the Northern Territory, these 16 days land with particular weight. The statistics speak clearly. Aboriginal women in the NT are hospitalised for assault at forty times the rate of non-Indigenous women. They are eleven times more likely to die due to violence. Police attend a domestic or family violence incident every four minutes. In some communities, up to 80 per cent of women have experienced violence in their lifetime. These are not abstract figures. They reflect women we love, women who raise our families and women whose safety must always be a community priority.
Despite these realities, extraordinary leadership continues to rise. One of the most powerful examples is Galiwin'ku Women's Space, a Yolŋu led Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation on Elcho Island. GWS began not with funding or infrastructure, but with the courage and conviction of one woman, Ms Bettina Danganbarr AM.
Change began at home
Before any formal service existed, Ms Danganbarr opened her home to women fleeing violence. She offered food, a mattress on the floor and a safe place to breathe and recover. That act of protection became the catalyst for what is now one of the most respected culturally grounded women's safety organisations in the Northern Territory.
"We started with nothing but our courage and our love for our women. When a sister came to my door, I knew I could not turn her away. That was the beginning of GWS. It came from our hearts, from our culture, and from our belief that every woman deserves to live without fear," she said.
Today, GWS provides crisis accommodation, culturally informed case management, early intervention, outreach and community education. Their work is anchored in Yolŋu Law and the Gurrutu kinship system, ensuring that when a woman seeks support, she is met in ways that honour her identity, language, kinship and cultural responsibilities. Women feel seen rather than judged, safe rather than silenced and held rather than hurried. Culture is not an added layer at GWS. It is the core of their healing.
Going from strength to strength
Prevention is central to this work. GWS partners with Elders, men, women, young people and families to shift attitudes, strengthen leadership and build safer futures. Their influence extends far beyond responding to crisis. They restore dignity. They rebuild confidence. They reshape how communities understand respect, protection and responsibility.
This approach is deeply understood by Ms Faith Makumbe, the General Manager of GWS, who explained that culturally led work is essential.
"When support comes from within culture, from people who share language, kinship, Law and lived experience, families feel safe, respected and truly seen. Yolŋu ways of caring are relational, not transactional. Healing happens through trust, through gurrutu, through deep listening and through approaches that honour the dignity and strength of our families," she said.
This year, Galiwin'ku Women's Space was recognised as the Blak Community Controlled Organisation of the Year at the NTIBN Blak Business Awards; recognition that felt powerful and deeply deserved. It honours the women who built GWS from the ground up, the leadership of Ms Danganbarr, the guidance of Elders and the dedication of staff who show up with heart and cultural responsibility every single day.
A message from the heart
Accepting the award, Treasurer Ms Zelda Dhamarrandji reflected on what it meant for the entire community. She described the recognition as a celebration of the resilience and determination of the Yolŋu women who created GWS with courage and cultural strength. She expressed that the award validates every late night, every difficult moment and every act of support offered to women in crisis. It belongs to the whole community, to the women who trusted GWS, to the Elders who continue to guide them and to the next generation who will carry this work forward.
As the 16 Days of Activism continues, the story of Galiwin'ku Women's Space stands as a profound reminder of what is possible when Aboriginal women lead. When culture is centred, safety grows. When women refuse to stay silent, the future changes.
The Yolŋu women of GWS are living proof of that change, and their leadership lights a path the Northern Territory urgently needs.
