Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women's Voices)

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) builds on the legacy of the 1986 Women’s Business Report.

The Australian Human Rights Commission (the ‘Commission’) is asking Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander women and girls to share their experiences about what the key challenges, priorities and aspirations are for themselves and their communities.

This is part of a major project, led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar, AO and funded by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and her team will travel around Australia to speak with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls about what is important to them, their key strengths and their aspirations for change.

This national conversation will seek to elevate the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, whose needs and voices as a distinct group are often not heard.

Key objectives of Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) Project are to:

• Capture the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls with respect to their cultural, socio-economic and personal wellbeing, including their key priorities, and the principles that they believe would contribute to long-lasting change.
   
• Elevate the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls through a human-rights-based process which is accessible and relevant to their lived reality, and contributes to their empowerment.
   
• Provide clear guidance for governments to improve their capacity to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls.

HUMAN RIGHTS BASED APPROACH

The Australian Human Rights Commission will engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls from across the country both in person and via an online submission process.

We will carry out this work within a strength-based, human rights framework that is guided by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration).

The Declaration sets out key principles of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples such as:

• Self-determination
• Respect for culture
• Non-discrimination and equality and
• Participation in decision making