Acknowledging the Lives Lost and the Ongoing Fight Against Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence in the Northern Territory
NAAFLS hosted its annual OCHRE Ribbon Breakfast in Darwin last Friday with Senior Partnership and Advocacy Officer and MC Rachael Hill coordinating the event on Larrakia Country.
As a Larrakia woman, Rachael performed a Welcome to Country and reminded attendees that despite the tremendous progress, more work needs to be done:
“We’re not going to stay silent about the violence.”
“As a granddaughter of the Stolen Generations, I would like to show my respect to all survivors, their families, and especially the old people who aren’t with us today.
“We also wish to acknowledge Aboriginal Family Legal Services for starting the Ochre Ribbon Campaign, said Rachael Hill.
“The Ochre Ribbon Campaign was born out of tragedy after the death of a proud Aboriginal woman to domestic violence in Meekatharra, Western Australia in 2014.”
The OCHRE Ribbon campaign, which runs from 12-19 February each year, has become a platform for sector advocacy, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the devastating impacts of family violence affecting our Aboriginal communities.
Attending the OCHRE Ribbon breakfast were more than 200 people representing a range of ACCOs, community services, businesses and government agencies, including the Department of Children and Families and the NT Police.
Speakers at the Darwin 10 Year Anniversary event were NAAFLS CEO Cindy Torrens, the Hon Robyn Cahill NT Minister for Children and Families; Child Protection; Prevention of Domestic Violence; and Ms Jenna Roberts, Australia’s Assistant Commissioner for the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission.
As the opening speaker NAAFLS CEO Cindy Torrens said: “Firstly, I would like to pay my deepest respects to our women – our sisters, our mothers, our aunties, our daughters who should be walking among us today but are not.”
This year marks a decade under OCHRE Ribbon of raising awareness about domestic, family, and sexual violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country.
“We stand together and mourn yet another death of an Aboriginal woman at the hands of her partner,” said Ms Torrens, referencing the shocking toll domestic violence continues to take, including last week’s tragic death in Alice Springs.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander women are 35 times more likely to be victims of domestic and family violence and seven times more likely to be victims of domestic homicide than other Australian women.
“These deaths are preventable. Together, we have the power to make change,” Ms Torrens said, calling for genuine partnership with Aboriginal communities and urging the Government to invest more heavily in Aboriginal-led organisations.
She emphasised the importance of empowering Aboriginal communities to lead solutions, as they are the ones best placed to deliver lasting change.
NAAFLS, alongside the Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit (CAAFLU) and many other organisations, is at the forefront of advocating for Aboriginal families and delivering vital support services.
“We do not need radical programs or radical recommendations,” Ms Torrens said. “We know what we need to do. We are already doing it.”
NAAFLS continues to provide holistic legal and non-legal services across the Northern Territory and is a key partner in various place-based initiatives aimed at prevention and early intervention in domestic violence.
NAAFLS Senior Partnership and Advocacy Officer, Rachael Hill: “We know the reality of family and domestic violence in our Aboriginal communities is real,”
Rachael also emphasized the importance of understanding that violence has never been normal in Aboriginal communities.
“We are resilient, we are proud, and we are important,” Ms Hill said, reiterating the commitment to protecting families and children, as well as ending violence in our communities.
The commitment of NAAFLS, CAAFLU, and our partners, is vital in the ongoing effort to address the systemic issues driving violence.
As NAAFLS CEO Cindy Torrens shared, “Domestic and family violence is everybody’s business. It requires a collective effort. But we need more than just words. We need action.”
ENDS