The Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre, based in Fitzroy Crossing, will benefit from a $300,000 grant to help develop female Aboriginal leaders of the future.
The State Government funding will provide and promote opportunities for young people and senior women to undertake cultural training together, enabling the next generation to maintain a strong connection to culture and country.
It will be used to create a full-time position to co-ordinate regional women's law and cultural events, contribute to on country camps for women and girls, and enable the creation of women's law spaces.
The funding supports the implementation of key priorities of the Kimberley Aboriginal Women's Strategic Plan (KAWSP) for language, law and culture.
This includes preserving law and culture on country and actively passing on knowledge to future cultural practitioners and leaders.
The funding is also expected to aid the alignment of the KAWSP to Stronger Together: WA's Plan for Gender Equality and the Aboriginal Family Safety Strategy.
Stronger Together is the first whole-of-government, long-term plan to advance gender equality in Western Australia and is being led by the Department of Communities through four action plans between 2020-2030. The second action plan includes five focus areas to guide the work of Government across the next four years, and includes a specific focus on Aboriginal women's leadership.
As stated by Women's Interests Minister Simone McGurk:
"I congratulate the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre on bringing together voices from across the region to develop this plan for Aboriginal women in the Kimberley.
"This funding will provide an important kick-start to some of the key priorities identified in the Kimberley Aboriginal Women's Strategic Plan for language, law and culture.
"It is crucial that initiatives to support Aboriginal women to fulfil their potential as leaders in our communities are designed for and led by Aboriginal women.
"It is important for women living in remote communities to have support and to identify their needs around language, law and culture, especially so it can be passed onto the next generation of young girls and women."
As stated by Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna:
"This funding will go a long way towards empowering and building up the next generation of female Aboriginal leaders in the Kimberley.
"I would like to congratulate the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre and thank them for their important work as they develop programs and activities that will keep the next generation connected to culture and country."
