ANROWS research project RP.14.11 - Advocacy for safety and empowerment: Good practice and innovative approaches with Aboriginal women experiencing family and domestic violence in remote and regional Australia

This guide has come from research with three independent women's specialist services and the work they do with and for Aboriginal women experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV). In the course of the research, Aboriginal women contributed as workers, board members, clients and community members.

The guide shares learning from the research. It is not a checklist. The learning comes from two regions in Australia—central Australia and Canberra. The learning focuses on helping Aboriginal women as victims/survivors of DFV but may also be useful for victims/survivors from other backgrounds.

This guide focuses on the practice of advocacy for individuals in crisis situations, and also systems advocacy in non-crisis situations. Other guides discuss safety planning and outreach. In reality, there is a lot of overlap to how these three practices are used within women's specialist services with and for Aboriginal women. The practices should be grounded in services that are committed to continual learning, to building understanding of and involvement with local contexts, and to being culturally informed. Women's specialist services are generally independent and focus primarily on helping women and children.
They include shelters, crisis lines, outreach, case management, and advocacy services, amongst others.