TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW
Localbusinesses and community members joined the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) movement as allyship supporters at an event to help celebrate. Indigenous Business Month.
Bernice Hookey, from Mzb Empowerment, said she was proud to organise the Indigenous Business Month #connectandyarn networking event.
The event - held at Keyes & Co Property headquarters, in Walker St - highlighted the importance of allyship, and MZB Empowerment’s strong advocacy to gender equality in the Indigenous community
“I am truly proud to step into the unknown and have two amazing women - Kirsty Keyes and Kylie Bartlett - support in allyship and extend an invitation to non-indigenous businesses in the Townsville community,” Ms Hookey said. “To have 10 businesses turn up and share space to invest in listening to my passion and story for each to walk in solidarity with us and the voices in the report for the commitment of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) report.”
Ms Bartlett, of Lead Love Leap and Women of Achievement, sang the praises of Ms Hookey for sharing her story and passion to support the implementation of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) report.
“It was inspiring and educational to listen and learn from so many incredible businesses walking together and to hear first hand First
Nations Women’s stories,” Ms Bartlett said. “It was a day of listening and learning together as we formed a yarning circle to share how we can walk in allyship and implement the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) report principles in action in our lives and businesses.
“For me this commitment starts with a letter of support for the report.”
In the letter of support, Ms Bartlett said it was time to achieve First Nations gender justice and equality in Australia.
“I am a proud supporter of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) Report and project.,” Ms Bartlett said. “The report, released in December 2020, is the first time since 1986 that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls have been consulted as a collective about our [or their] rights, needs and aspirations.
“As Wiyi Yani U Thangani states, First Nations women and girls are strong, brave, determined, and resilient - they have remarkable skills, knowledge and boundless potential.
“The structural inequalities, poverty, trauma and discrimination that First Nations women and girls live with in Australia today, is unacceptable and must be addressed and overcome.”
Ms Bartlett said the Wiyi Yani U Thangani report put on the table an ambitious and necessary First Nations female-led plan for structural change.
“My work within and across Lead Love Leap and Women of Achievement supports the report’s principles, key findings, overarching recommendations and pathways forward,” she said. “I also back the major calls for action to hold a First Nations women and girls National Summit, and from this to develop a National Action Plan. These actions are critical to respond to the priorities set out in Wiyi Yani U Thangani so together, all Australians can achieve First nations gender justice and equality.
“It is time to respond to First Nations women and girls’ voices by implementing the Wiyi Yani U Thangani report.”
Ms Bartlett said in the letter of support for the report that she endorsed the Wiyi Yani U Thangani principles and overarching recommendations and encouraged the community to explore what this looked like in practice.
“I pledge to elevate and celebrate the voices, truth-telling and leadership of First Nations women and girls through considered inclusion, representation, and empowerment in my work. “The advancement of women in Australia is hollow without the advancement and elevation of First Nations women and girls. I acknowledge I have so much to learn from First Nations women and girls.
“I am proud to walk in allyship. Now is the time to take action.”
It is time to respond to First Nations women and girls’ voices by implementi ng the Wiyi Yani U Thangani report