The Greens WA are supporting calls for an urgent roundtable addressing First Nations women’s and children’s safety and wellbeing.
Western Australian Aboriginal leaders are urging the state government to consult First Nations women who are concerned about violence and young people’s safety.
It follows reporting in The Australian that 15 young people were frequently living unsupervised at a South Hedland residence. The report further noted that child protection workers were aware of the situation but contained interviews with past employees and police who said staff were not doing their jobs properly.
First Nations human rights legal expert Dr Hannah McGlade says Aboriginal women are not heard in “critical decision-making”.
“There are Aboriginal Grandmothers and senior women in every Aboriginal community who are very worried about violence and children’s safety. Still they are not being heard and listened to. “Too often, Aboriginal women are not heard or included in critical decision-making about child safety. We are here, ready to work with the government and share solutions we know will work,” she said.
Greens spokesperson for Women and Children’s Safety Jess Beckerling says the message was made “crystal clear” at a roundtable of First Nations women convened by The Greens last month.
“First Nations women should be front and centre in the rooms where decisions are being made about First Nations women and children’s issues. That is why we support the calls today by leading Aboriginal women for the Cook Labor Government to urgently convene a Roundtable on Aboriginal child and family safety,” she said.
Beckerling also called on the state government to act on a recommendation made in the Gordon Inquiry more than 20 years ago.
“Currently there is no Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner, despite it being recommended in the Gordon Inquiry more than two decades ago. There is also no statewide peak Aboriginal body for women and children’s safety and wellbeing. This needs to change.”
Data in the Commissioner for Children & Young People WA’s ‘Profile of Children and Young People in WA 2024’ report revealed that half of the almost 5,200 young people in out-of-home care in WA are Aboriginal.
The number of First Nations young people in care has increased by more than 10 per cent over the past decade.
