Griffin, Denese --- "The National Network of Indigenous Women's Legal Services Inc" [2004] IndigLawB 24; (2004) 6(1) Indigenous Law Bulletin 13

• The National Network Of Indigenous Women's Legal Services Inc
• Members Of The Network
• Nniwls Objectives

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The National Network of Indigenous Women's Legal Services Inc

by Denese Griffin

on behalf of the National Network of Indigenous Women’s Legal Services Inc

The National Network of Indigenous Women’s Legal Services Inc (NNIWLS or ‘the Network’) is a national peak body for Indigenous women’s legal services. It is a national network promoting social justice for Indigenous women (with a particular emphasis on law and justice) which undertakes advocacy, promotes high quality service delivery and service coordination.

Established in 1998, NNIWLS has been operating since 2001 with philanthropic grants and grants from ATSIC. The Our Strong Women leadership training workshops also received a project grant from the Commonwealth Office of Status of Women.

The Network was formed by, and has a membership that consists of:

• Indigenous Women’s Projects (IWP’s) (legal services), funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Legal and Advocacy Service, Queensland, funded by Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department
• Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre funded by the NSW Attorney General’s Department
• Family Violence Prevention Legal Services, funded by ATSIS
• Aboriginal Legal Access Project with Hawkesbury Nepean Community Legal Centre (NSW), (funded privately)
• Mirrung Ngu Wanjarri Project with Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre funded by the NSW Department of Gaming and Racing
• Individual Indigenous women who have a commitment to social justice for Indigenous women

All these services provide legal help to Indigenous women, children and families. Every day these services see the effects of communities in pain; hurt that goes very deep and leaves many of our women and children at risk. Whilst the services provide legal help, the main aim is healing and working with women and children and often with men.

Members of the Network

The Network was first formed by Indigenous women working in community legal centres under the Indigenous Women’s Initiative Programs funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. The main aim of the Programs is to provide access to and equity of legal services to Indigenous women.

NNIWLS objectives

• Provide a network for organisations, services and programs that have the primary purpose of providing legal assistance, legal advice or legal information to Indigenous women
• Promote the availability of legal and related services for Indigenous women that respect principles of Indigenous cultures
• Improve the responsiveness of the legal system to Indigenous women and promote full exploration of opportunities for the recognition of customary lore
• Build partnerships and social coalitions to address the legal and related disadvantage of Indigenous women
• Provide input to government policy, reform bodies and inquiries on issues relating to Indigenous women and the law
• Provide training for members and others to empower Indigenous women
• Mentor and promote peer mentoring of workers providing legal and related support and assistance to Indigenous women
• Provide representatives or participants for advisory bodies, reference groups and project management groups
• Facilitate consultation and input about legal and related issues by and with Indigenous women
• Develop and promote quality service delivery strategies

Since the establishment of the first Indigenous Women’s Program, Indigenous women working in the programs have been meeting at the National Association of Community Legal Centres Annual Conference. As there were only a small number of Indigenous women at each conference they met in an ad hoc manner to talk about their work and provide support for each other.

While the number of IWPs has increased, many Indigenous women work in isolation as the sole service provider, particularly in rural, regional and remote areas. Their roles include community legal education worker, paralegal, community development worker, Aboriginal liaison officer and Aboriginal access worker.

In response to the plight of Indigenous women and children experiencing family violence, the first Family Violence Prevention Legal Unit was piloted in Kempsey, NSW followed by twelve Family Violence Prevention Legal Units established in 2000. The services provided by the Units centre around services for Indigenous people, particularly women and children, to address their legal needs and reduce the incidence of family violence in a holistic manner.

These Indigenous Women’s Legal Services work together with other groups, government departments and community groups to help with, not only the legal needs, but also the healing processes.

Today, in addition to maintaining contact through attendance at the Annual Network Day Meetings, NNIWLS produces a Network booklet, newsletters and email lists to allow members to network and share information and resources. A project of NNIWLS has been the highly successful Our Strong Women – Indigenous Women, Law and Leadership, featured in this edition of the Indigenous Law Bulletin.

The Network is incorporated and has a fulltime Network Coordinator and a Strengthening Committee to carry out the functions of the Network.

Key achievements for the Network include:

• Providing a visible contact point for the Network including dealing with requests for information about legal services for Indigenous Women, distributing the Network Booklet and establishing a website (www.nniwls.org.au)
• 80% of Network members are on the Our-Ways email lists, accessing information, providing support to each other and having input into conference streams, Indigenous social justice issues and media releases
• Preparation of a major federal budget submission for 2001-2004 that attracted broad support from key agencies, including ATSIC and the National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC)
• Building a strong and active partnership with NACLC and their General Committee in empowering and promoting social justice for Indigenous women and Indigenous people through close association and policy-making that addresses Indigenous women’s legal needs both in the legal sector and in the wider community
• Close association with the National Network of Women’s Legal Services with NNIWLS representatives participating on the Coordinating Committee and providing input into the draft infrastructure of the NNIWLS Committee
• Lodgement of a number of submissions on government inquiries:

•	ATSIC Review
•	Inquiry into child custody arrangements in the event of family separation
•	Inquiry into Current Legal Aid and Justice Arrangements

The Network has received support from the Reichstein Foundation, ATSIS, Commonwealth Office of Status of Women, National Women’s Justice Coalition, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and lobbying and support from individual Indigenous and non-Indigenous women throughout Australia.

Denese Griffin is the Network Coordinator of NNIWLS.

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