The arrival of 26 January each year invariably brings discussion about the many uncomfortable truths in our nation’s story, including our history of colonisation.

But what is often overlooked is that colonisation is not just a moment confined to history. As the leaders of two organisations that work to address violence against women, we see the ongoing impact of colonisation every day in the shockingly high rates of violence experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

It is impossible to combat this violence without understanding the long-lasting impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. An impact that goes beyond the massacres, introduced diseases and displacement of the past, and continues today through intergenerational trauma, gaps in life expectancy and systemic discrimination.

The negative effects of some policies and interventions on Aboriginal health, wellbeing and cultural identity are also still very real and very present.

Together with sexism, the discrimination and racism caused by colonisation and its systems are inextricably linked to the devastatingly high rates of violence perpetrated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience violence at a rate more than three times that of non-Indigenous women. They are 11 times more likely to die due to assault and 32 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of their injuries. They are more likely than not to be assaulted by a male partner. This violence is perpetrated by Indigenous and non-Indigenous men.

Then when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women seek help, they are more likely to face discrimination or not receive a timely, potentially lifesaving response from the systems that are supposed to protect us all.

When we talk in numbers like this, it’s easy to forget these are women; mothers, sisters and daughters with hopes and dreams, and a right to be respected and live free from violence. To live.

Violence against women is not part of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers point out that in pre-colonial times, violence was strictly regulated and controlled, and customary laws and lore were highly respectful and protective of women.

This violence is not an issue for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people alone to solve. It is not a women’s issue. It is a national issue, and it is our national responsibility to solve it. Preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is possible, provided we work together, with collective effort and individual responsibility.

It starts with being open to truth-telling and deep listening.

A landmark national gathering of women in 2022 called for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to be front and centre in ending violence against women.

“First Nations women have always been central to providing care and doing remarkable, and often unrecognised work, to keep family and kin safe, and they have the knowledge and know what works to end cycles of violence and trauma,” they said in a statement.

This is backed by research which shows programs are far more likely to succeed when the community leads holistic initiatives that involve the whole family, prioritise, strengthen and reconnect to Aboriginal culture, promote Aboriginal women’s leadership and engage men and boys.

In addition to centering the voices and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and communities, there is a need for transformative systemic, structural and institutional change at a national, state and territory level to dismantle the racism and sexism that allows this violence to occur. We need changes across government, education, health and justice systems as well as workplaces, where structures and systems can directly or indirectly exclude, discriminate or make people feel unsafe.

So, what does this change look like?

In part, it is about centering the voices and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in practical ways. An example of this was the recent Northern Territory coronial inquest into the murders of four Aboriginal women, among them our colleague, Kumarn Rubuntja, who fought tirelessly to end family violence.

The inquest included truth-telling and deep listening and showed the power that comes from having the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women front and centre in the creation of systemic change.

Change is also about government policy and investment, schools and universities supporting children and young people to develop respectful and equal relationships, and workplaces taking actions to ensure women feel safe, valued and respected.

Individually, we all have a role to play in preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. This includes speaking up when we hear violence being justified or condoned, and challenging all forms of racism, ignorance and disrespect towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and cultures. And it means engaging men to challenge sexism and harmful ideas about masculinity and relationships.

This 26 January, we’re united in our commitment to changing the story for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, and we invite you to join us. This is a story that we all have the power, and the responsibility, to change.

Maree Corbo is the Community Safety Manager at Tangentyere Council, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation working across Central Australia. Amanda Alford is the Acting CEO of Our Watch, Australia’s national organisation for the prevention of violence against women.

Maree Corbo is the Community Safety Manager at Tangentyere Council, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation working across Central Australia. Amanda Alford is the Acting CEO of Our Watch, Australia’s national organisation for the prevention of violence against women.

First Published in the Guardian.

Please contact media@ourwatch.org.au or 0448 844 930. 

*If you cover this story, or any story regarding violence against women and children, please include the following tagline: 

“If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.”
To access guides for reporting about violence against women and their children, visit Media Making Change. 

Our Watch is the national leader in Australia’s work to stop violence against women and their children before it starts. The organisation was created to drive nation-wide change in the practices, norms, and structures that lead to violence against women and children.