This morning, I joined Professor Anne Summers on ABC Radio National to call for immediate action to address the national shame of men’s violence against women across our country.

I have spent 22 years at the front line of women’s safety, and in that time, we have only seen the situation get worse.

In Australia today, Aboriginal women are 33 times more likely to be hospitalised and 11 times more likely to die from a violent assault than other women. But rarely are our stories covered or seen as newsworthy.

We must see meaningful national action at every level of Government in our country. 

Djirra calls on Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus to immediately release and implement all of Dr. Warren Mundy’s recommendations in his recent NLAP review.

Djirra welcomes the Government’s commitment to a dedicated national plan to end violence against Aboriginal women and children. This plan must be fast-tracked, but it’s just the start.

Services like Djirra and other specialist Aboriginal-led Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services (FVPLS) are the LOWEST FUNDED of the four legal assistance providers in the country – and our core business is family violence and Aboriginal women’s safety.

We cannot wait until the 2026 budget for funding to hit the ground for Aboriginal women’s safety.

The Department of Social Services must commit to allocating resources through a dedicated funding stream for FVPLS non-legal work, which includes case management, counselling, and early intervention prevention.

Next week I will be attending the national crisis discussions hosted by Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin into the devastating rates of murdered and missing women in Australia. 

We will use this forum to keep amplifying the voices and experiences of Aboriginal women and highlight the urgent and critical need to invest in our specialist self-determined solutions.

Our women remain resilient, strong in culture, and determined. As Aboriginal women, we know what must be done to end family violence and its devastating impact on our women, our kids, and our families.

We are determined, but now we need the political will, real action, and investment. We have the solutions.