Bethel, Bronwyn (2007) The equity and empowerment of Australian Indigenous women through success in education: Australia's own daughters Of The Dreaming. In: Refereed Proceedings of the International Women’s Conference: education, employment, and everything – the triple layers of a woman’s life. pp. 50-54. From: IWC 2007 International Women’s Conference: education, employment, and everything – the triple layers of a woman’s life, 26-29 September 2007, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia.

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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.

Item ID:	3201
Item Type:	Conference Item (Research - E1)
ISBN:	978-1-921420-00-9
Keywords:	equity; empowerment; Indigenous women; education
Date Deposited:	22 Apr 2010 22:26
FoR Codes:	16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1608 Sociology > 160809 Sociology of Education @ 50% 16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1603 Demography > 160301 Family and Household Studies @ 50%
SEO Codes:	94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9401 Community Service (excl. Work) > 940102 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Development and Welfare @ 100%
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