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A new summit will bring together over 200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (including those who identify as cis, trans and non-binary) into an arena of decision-making with a diverse range of private and public stakeholders.
Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) joins as a sponsor of the summit and the overall Wiyi Yani U Thangani project to continue to support the strength and impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
The 3-day event, called the Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit, takes place from 9-11 May 2023 at the National Convention Centre on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country (Canberra ACT).
Wiyi Yani U Thangani means ‘women’s voices’ and builds on the landmark work of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Report (2020) and Implementation Framework (2021) which put a lens across the strength, knowledge and culture of First Nations women and girls.
The theme of the summit is ‘We are the change.’ Discussions will engage delegates in topics spanning women and girls’ self-determination, economic justice, embedding healing practices throughout institutions and policies and combatting climate change.
June Oscar AO, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, notes the importance of forums like this for First Nations women to be heard and create the action forward.
“The Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit is the first time that First Nations women from right across Australia will come together in such large numbers to determine how we can take control of our future and deliver safety, justice and prosperity for our families and communities,” said June.
“The summit will bring together First Nations women with decision-makers from across government, community, academia and business, and we’re excited to have partners like Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) working alongside us to progress First Nations gender justice and equality.”
Southern Arrernte woman Stella de Cos is the Director, Community and Customer Experience, at IBA, and part of the driving force behind IBA‘s Strong Women Strong Business network launched in 2018.
“Our First Nations women and girls are often the backbone of our communities,” said Stella. “Creating a safe space for our women to gather elevates their voices to influence transformative change.
“IBA is proud to continue to be a part of the change that needs to happen and build on our strong First Nations network of women who run businesses, share culture, and grow families.”
In addition to the sponsorship, IBA will support a select group of women from regional and remote areas that are part of the Strong Women Strong Business network to attend the summit. The registrations will be processed via the sponsored delegates registration: https://humanrights.gov.au/about/get-involved/events/wiyi-yani-u-thangani-national-summit-we-are-change-9-11-may-2023.
Media contact: Tara Toohill 02 9207 6362 or tara.toohill@iba.gov.au
