New First Nations-led organisation to target hidden ‘scourge’ of family violence

A new national First Nations-led organization is launching in Canberra to combat family and sexual violence against Aboriginal women and children. This initiative follows years of advocacy by Indigenous women's safety advocates. The organization will collaborate with community-controlled organizations to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by First Nations women, who are significantly more likely to be killed or hospitalized due to family violence compared to non-Indigenous women. Reducing these rates is a key target within the Closing the Gap strategy. The organization aims to tackle what is described as a hidden "scourge" of family violence within Indigenous communities.