The equity and empowerment of Australian indigenous women through success in education: Australia's own daughters of the dreaming

The equity and empowerment of Australian indigenous women through success in education: Australia's own daughters of the dreaming

[Abstract]: This paper discusses the importance of education in the lives of Indigenous Australian women. Empowerment, whether it be personal, social or professional, can be sought through the attainment of education. As the traditional 'gatherers' of food for survival, many Indigenous women now need to focus their energies upon the gathering of knowledge; indeed, this
knowledge is as intrinsic to their survival as food once
was. Knowledge carries the currency necessary to
compete within the professional world as opposed to
surviving on the fringes as was the case for 200 years
after the arrival of Europeans. While the opportunity to
be heard certainly needs to be in their own voice, it is
equally imperative that the articulation of that voice be
understood by their predominantly non-Indigenous
audience. Indigenous women were relegated to both
sexual and domestic enslavement, stolen from their
families and silenced through the banishment of their
native tongue. Whether known as the traditional
gatherers, 'Women of the Centre', 'Women of the Sun',
or 'Daughters of the Dreaming', these women have
proved pivotal in the survival of their people. This paper
will discuss how their continued impact can be assured
through the empowerment that education can bring to
them.

Copyright is retained by the author. This is a paper included in the Refereed Proceedings of the International Women’s Conference University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia 26-29 September 2007 Conducted by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Women’s Network Inc, Young Women’s Place Inc, Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland Ltd and the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Service. The conference is a keystone project of the USQ 40th anniversary celebrations. Published by USQ Women’s Network Inc. Toowoomba, QLD, Australia.