Women get the issues straight

Derby woman Winifred Taylor has a dream to help establish a networking summit in WA to help indigenous women overcome challenges and strive for a better future, following a trip to Parliament House in Canberra last month.

Ms Taylor was one of 62 women of various ages and backgrounds who attended this Oxfam’s Straight Talk Summit, where they spoke with key political figures and tackled big issues and discussed challenges faced by indigenous people in Australia.

Since its launch in 2008, the summit invites hundreds of women every year from remote communities, country towns and big cities to raise issues with members of parliament and create long term solutions.

Ms Taylor, who works on a Prevention and Diversion program for West Kimberley Youth Justice Services, said she raised several issues during the week-long summit, including domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse. She said she was surprised to find some of these issues weren’t isolated to Derby.

Ms Taylor said the summit provided the perfect opportunity to meet other women, swap stories and discuss strategies including strengthening skills of indigenous women, starting ongoing relationships and increasing her capacity to access political representatives.

She met many powerful and inspiring women, learned a lot and, being a strong advocate of supporting youth, had been “blown away” by the young women who attended the summit.

“We need the community to allow youth to walk alongside us and for us to pass on experience and involve them,” she said.

Upon her return to the Kimberley, Ms Taylor said she was left feeling inspired and empowered, and she encouraged all indigenous women to apply for the opportunity to attend next year.

Returning to the Kimberley with a different mindset, Ms Taylor said she was passionate about making a difference as an individual by joining committees and hoped one day to reunite with all the women she met last month through an innovative homegrown summit for women in WA and the Northern Territory.