A special NAIDOC Week event
Artwork by proud Kalkadoon and Waanyi woman, KYLIE HILL @kjhartworks
NAIDOC Week represents a long history of First Nations people getting up, standing up and showing up – from the frontier wars to today as we continue to call for systemic change.
Together with business networking platform Future Women, Witchery held a breakfast event that brought together 280 women on Naarm (W Hotel, Melbourne). We heard from a panel of First Nations women, who discussed the importance of speaking truth to power and putting words into action to ensure a more equitable country for all.
10% of every ticket and table sold was donated to the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
Future Women is as an inclusive organisation committed to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
Here are the women whose voices had the stage, and whose illuminating knowledge and continuous work paves the way for much needed change in Australia.
Event Host & Community Content Coordinator, Future Women
Madison is a Wonnarua and Yuin woman and recently completed a Bachelor of Media (Communications and Journalism) at UNSW. She works as the Community Content Coordinator at Future Women and has a passion for storytelling through a First Nations lens. She has written for NME, The National Indigenous Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, Women's Agenda and 9Honey.
Deputy Managing Director, Future Women
Jamila Rizvi is a best-selling author, sought after public speaker, podcast presenter, and gender equality advocate. She has been named in the Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence and is a 2020 Women and Leadership Australia award winner. Jamila is a board member of the Wheeler Centre, an ambassadr for PLAN International and the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation.
Executive General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy, AFL
Tanya is a Torres Strait Islander woman with a long and distinguished history in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy, advocacy, governance and fundraising. Before joining the AFL as the first-ever Indigenous person and second woman in their Executive ranks in August 2016, Tanya was the Joint Campaign director of the Recognise movement for constitutional recognition.
“If I had a dollar for every person who told me after a meeting, ‘Oh my god, I’m so glad you said that’. Can you just say it in the room? You don’t have to speak for us but you can make it clear that you agree and amplify.”
CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
Yorta Yorta woman Nerita was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service in 2019 and has worked tirelessly to improve legal service delivery to Victorian communities and improve justice policy. Nerita is completing her Masters of Law as the University of Melbourne and hopes these studies will continue to foster her passion for social justice and equity and help her discover innovative ways to solve the justice issues plaguing her community.
“First Nations stories are not just stories of disadvantage. We are stories of strength and determination and innovative solutions.”
Writer and Director, Committee Member, National NAIDOC
Kimberley is a proud Yawuru, Bardi and Kija woman from Rubibi/Broome, WA. As a filmmaker her drive is to tell stories that are truthful, impactful and celebrate the strength and resilience of First Nations people.
“The best way for allies is supporting. Thinking about the different campaigns that are out there and how we can support them. Whether that’s petitions, donations, your workplace supporting local Mob or what they’re doing.”
Future Women and Witchery acknowledge that we are on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.