Ten years ago, the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence handed down its findings.

For Aboriginal women, it was a moment where our voices were finally recognised.
Where our demands to be seen and heard were acknowledged. For a moment, it felt like governments were listening.

Djirra received unprecedented investment into frontline services and early intervention and prevention programs.

Change felt possible. But ten years on, here is the truth.

In Victoria, Aboriginal women are still experiencing violence at vastly disproportionate rates. Our children are still being removed at rates not seen since white settlement. Our women are still being misidentified and criminalised for seeking safety.

And this is being driven and made worse by punitive and racist systems that continue to target Aboriginal women.

Let’s be clear.

Royal Commissions have an end date. Violence against Aboriginal women does not.
Ten years on, governments are still not investing at the level required in the specialist services that keep Aboriginal women safe, strong and alive and together with their children.
Funding ten years on does not match demand. It does not match what we see every day on the frontline.

Djirra has the solutions.

This is not new. Governments know.

But the response is the same. No increases. No CPI. Funding cuts. “Tight budgets.”
Women’s lives must mean more than this.

Djirra’s solutions are known. They are tried, tested, and trusted.

And still, not properly funded.

Aboriginal women are not just being ignored. We are being left exposed to violence.
Ten years on, we continue to call for urgent investment in our more than 20 year vision to establish an Aboriginal Women’s Centre in Victoria. Backed by the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

We call for investment that matches the scale of this crisis and meets the demand for our specialist services.

Investing in Djirra’s self-determined solutions will change the devastating reality for Aboriginal women in Victoria. Aboriginal women deserve better.

#AboriginalWomensLivesMatter #SelfDetermination

The Djirra team presented at the PreventX conference this week, an important national conference focused on preventing family and gender-based violence, hosted by @Safe_and_Equal 💜🩷🧡

Proud Wiradjuri woman and our Young Luv Coordinator, Leticia, shared the journey behind the redesign of Djirra’s Young Luv program.

Since 2015, Young Luv has supported young Aboriginal women to build healthy relationships through a workshop grounded in sistahood, empowerment and assertiveness.

Designed and delivered by Aboriginal women the program creates a culturally safe space for young Aboriginal women to learn, connect and grow.

During the session, Leticia and colleague Bel invited participants to follow the redesign journey – highlighting the importance of Aboriginal-led, culturally grounded approaches to program design, monitoring, evaluation and learning.

Young Luv is a powerful example of what works when Aboriginal women lead the solutions. The Federal Government must back this work through sustained investment in Aboriginal-led early intervention and prevention under ‘Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices’, the National Plan to End Violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. 🖤💛❤️

To find out more about our programs, visit:
https://djirra.org.au/what-we-do/#prevention
#PreventX #YoungLuv #AboriginalLed #WeHaveTheSolutions #Djirra

Hey sisters, our April KWP workshop calendar is ready!

We have some exciting new workshops including:

✨ Healing Stones with Elisha from Miiki Puuri Mandi (Mildura)
✨ Soap Making with Nolita from Black Ochre (Melton)
✨ Healing Mats with Narnz (Abbotsford)
✨ Watercolour & liner art with Elisha from Miiki Puuri Mandi (Online)
✨ Flower Arrangements with Ed from Hello Hydie (Melton)
✨ Sacred Scents for Self Love with Lee Couch (Online)
✨ KWP Art Circle (Mildura)

Our monthly Virtual Sista Yarns on 21st (Online)

To register please contact KWP on 1800 105 303 (and press 3) or email kwp@djirra.org.au

Stay deadly you mob! 🖤💛❤️

For Aboriginal women, prevention is practical. It is immediate. And it is life changing.

It is Aboriginal women having the knowledge, support and connection needed to recognise risk, understand their rights and access services for safety.

It is women having readily available tools and an advocate to navigate racist and punitive systems.

Djirra CEO @Antoinette_Braybrook AM says, “Prevention is not just a program. Prevention is power – and that power must sit with Aboriginal women. All levels of government must invest in Aboriginal women to drive this work.”

An important start will be a sustained investment from the federal government’s commitment of $218 million, for Djirra and other specialist FVPLSs, for prevention and case management services that prioritise Aboriginal women.

Prevention programs are not an add on for Aboriginal women – they are critical. Djirra’s prevention programs draw on Aboriginal women’s resilience and strength. In practice, prevention is:

• Djirra’s Sisters Day Out®, Dilly Bag, Young Luv® and Koori Women’s Place
• Djirra’s specialist frontline legal and non-legal services
• Programs designed by Aboriginal women, for Aboriginal women
• Programs and services that create connection, strengthen knowledge and ensure women are not navigating violence alone

It is time to get serious about prevention. It is time to invest in Djirra’s tried, tested and proven solutions. This means sustained investment in Aboriginal women’s self-determination.

Prevention is not just about future outcomes. It is about changing the reality Aboriginal women are living right now.

#AboriginalWomensLivesMatter #SelfDetermination

It’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Racism against Aboriginal women is not accidental. It is systemic, sustained and intensifying.

In our work at Djirra, we see this every day.

We see Aboriginal women being racially targeted and criminalised, their children removed, by punitive and racist systems.

We see systems shaped by racial bias, where credibility is too often given to non Aboriginal men over Aboriginal women.

We see racism driving decisions that should be about safety, not punishment.

“Aboriginal women are not just dealing with gendered violence. We are navigating gendered violence in systems shaped by racism that is systemic, sustained and intensifying. That is the reality.” - @Antoinette_Braybrook AM

This is not isolated. It is structural.

What we see on the frontline is backed by the evidence. More than half of Aboriginal people now experience racism, rising from 39 percent in 2014 to 54 percent in 2024. How many more reports will it take before governments act?

This is not progress. It is escalation.

As racism grows in frequency and intensity across the country, we urge you to stand beside us as we fight against racism in every form.

We deserve better. Governments must act now to eliminate racism.

We know what works. Aboriginal women’s self-determination must be backed and resourced.

We need sustained investment in Djirra’s solutions, so our women can continue to lead with strength, resist racism and drive change every day.

#AntiRacismDay #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter

Why is it that year after year, on National Close the Gap Day, we are still calling out the lack of progress?

For over two decades, Djirra has put forward solutions grounded in the lived realities of Aboriginal women and children. Solutions that work.

But still, we are not heard. Still, our solutions are not invested in.

Themes come and go. Words sit on pages. But nothing changes when governments are still not listening or getting serious about Closing the Gap.

Only 4 of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are on track.
4 have gone backwards.
4 have no new data, including Target 13 on family violence against Aboriginal women.

This is not progress. Our women and children are living the consequences.

This is not justice.

It is not justice when Aboriginal women are criminalised for seeking safety and labelled the primary aggressor of violence.

It is not justice when our women are punished for the violence they experience and their children are taken.

There is no equality. There is no healing.

Our CEO @Antoinette_Braybrook AM says, “If governments are serious about Closing the Gap for Aboriginal women, our voices must be heard and our solutions invested in.”

LISTEN, ACT AND INVEST.

• Stop turning safety seeking into criminalisation.
• Stop turning safety seeking into child removal.
• Invest in Djirra’s Child Protection Notification Referral System so that Aboriginal mums have early access to legal support.
• Invest in Aboriginal led solutions like Djirra.

Our women and children deserve better.

#CloseTheGap #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter