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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-07-15 Daily Xml
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INDIGENOUS WOMEN

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:07): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about indigenous women.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA: NAIDOC Week is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of indigenous Australians in various fields. Will the minister inform the council about the joint project between the Office for Women and Radio Adelaide regarding NAIDOC Week celebrations?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:07): I am pleased to announce that during NAIDOC Week a collaborative project—Sistas Yarnin'—has developed between the Office for Women and Radio Adelaide. Sistas Yarnin' is about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women from around the state sharing stories about their lives and experiences. The rich tradition of story telling and yarnin' is an important part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and this project enables women's stories to be shared with the whole community.

Many women are leaders, role models, aunties and elders, whose stories about their community and culture have not been told. Sistas Yarnin' gives a voice to those remarkable women and allows us all to better understand one of the oldest cultures on earth. Office for Women staff are working with staff from Radio Adelaide to identify women in the community who will be willing to tell their stories. The office will also assist in establishing a trusting working relationship with the women who may have had negative experiences with media in the past.

The office has a broad network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with whom they work across South Australia, including delegates nominated to attend the state Aboriginal women's gathering and the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's gathering, and members from the Premier's Council for Women. Women working in their communities and young women will also be targeted as these are the women whose work and stories often go unrecognised.

Radio Adelaide is a community radio station owned and operated by the University of Adelaide. The station provides diverse radio, with a focus on arts, ideas, local issues, current affairs and music, and is predominantly staffed by a large and committed team of volunteers. Radio Adelaide has been supportive of issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and in 2008 interviewed a number of women involved in the state Aboriginal women's gathering. Interviews for Sistas Yarnin' will be undertaken over the next few months and will be finalised in October. 'Interview' is probably not the correct term to use because many of the recordings will be in quite an informal setting, having a yarn over a cup of tea in a non-threatening environment. Radio Adelaide will program the stories across the station in short 10-minute segments and longer half-hour stories

Sistas Yarnin' will be available to be downloaded from the Office for Women website. I feel quite privileged to be involved in this project and look forward to hearing the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women being told in their own voice.

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