Aboriginal women from Alice Springs Town Camps are calling on all Australians to recognise and support their efforts to make their families and communities safer.
Women from the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group (TWFSG) say they are frustrated by the increasing invisibility of Aboriginal women despite the high rates of domestic violence they face.
TWFSG co-ordinator Shirleen Campbell said women from Town Camps were tired of being overlooked and not heard by the wider community on issues such as family and domestic violence.
“Too many women continue to be hurt and killed and we are sick of it,” Ms Campbell said.
“The TWFSG has been working for more than two years to help reduce and prevent family and domestic violence.
“I know this group of strong women has done and will keep doing some great work but we are frustrated by the continued violence and the way Aboriginal women victims are sometimes ignored, especially in the media.
“We feel like we are invisible and we are sick of it.
“We decided to turn our frustration and sadness over recent violent incidents into something we hope will encourage the wider community to hear and support us.
“We are planning a Women’s Action on Tuesday July 11 in Alice Springs to highlight the Aboriginal women and children and families who are living with, injured by or dying because of violence.
“We want to honour and remember them and make sure they are seen as real people not just statistics.
“We will be marching to the court house lawns where we want to plant symbolic flowers representing all these women and to make them real and visible.
“We will then march on to Anzac Oval where support services will have stands and information and everyone can talk and remember and spend time with their kids and families.
"We are asking Alice Springs and people all around Australia to stand with us women, support our voice and hear our stories.
“Don’t let Aboriginal women experiencing domestic violence be invisible.”
The Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group would like to invite everyone in Alice Springs on July 11, 2017 to join the march. If you can’t join in person, you can show your support on the Facebook Page Tangentyere-Women Alice Springs and Twitter #standwithuswomen #istandwithyou.
June 8, 2017