Indigenous women and girls are on the frontlines of climate change, continue to be excluded from decision-making processes, are over-represented in prisons and youth detention centres, and face record-high levels of deaths in custody.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls marks a day to recognise the injustice Indigenous women and girls continue to face due to colonisation, dispossession and racism, whilst recognising their resilience, sustained activism, and leadership.
The power of Indigenous women’s leadership
In the Pacific, Indigenous women are leading their communities to respond to disasters like tropical cyclones and sea-level rises, stepping into decision-making spaces, and empowering women with disabilities to assert their rights and improve their lives.
Last year, ActionAid partnered with Indigenous women in Vanuatu as part of a transformational project where women installed off-grid solar systems in 115 homes in the village of Lawital in Tanna. Women in the community initiated the project, and undertook training to install and maintain the solar systems. The community of 800 people now has electricity, and they have already seen improvements to women’s safety, children’s education, job opportunities and quality of life.
This is just one example of how communities thrive from Indigenous women’s leadership, as they drive solutions that cut across climate change, gender equality, and disability justice.
How you can join in solidarity with Indigenous women
Here in Australia, First Nations women are at the forefront of change for a more equitable just world — driving campaigns against polluting oil and gas companies Woodside and Santos for their destruction of culture and our environment, and advancing self-determination, where First Nations people have the decision-making power and resources to shape their own lives.
It’s up to us to support Indigenous-led movements for change.
- Support Together for Treaty and join workshops to learn more about defending Treaty in Victoria, and join door-knocking initiatives in Kew.
- Donate to First Nations-led organisations. Here’s some suggestions to get you started – Pay the Rent, Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, Deadly Connections, Sisters Inside, Djirra and Original Power.
- Take action on First Nations-led campaigns such as #RaiseTheAge, Stopping Black Deaths in Custody and Together for Treaty.
Together, we can continue to amplify the leadership of Indigenous women and girls, and support their campaigns for justice.