Background

Indigenous women across the Northern Territory have been designing and driving the Strong Women for Healthy Country Network over the past 5 years, with support from Mimal Land Management. In 2019, Rembarrnga, Dalabon, and Mayili Elders invited women caring for Country from across the Northern

Territory to meet at Bawurrbarnda in Central Arnhem Land. Here, women from 32 ranger groups articulated our shared vision:

“We are strong Indigenous women of the Northern Territory. We stand united as one strong voice. We commit to a network that gives equal power to the rights of all our women. Strong Women means Healthy Country.”

In 2021, 260 women gathered at Banatjarl on Jawoyn Country, and formed their Message Sticks Group to maintain their network in between forums. In 2022, 200 women gathered at Inteye Arrkwe on Eastern Arrernte Country and worked together to design

a strategy and identify collective priorities for our network. In 2023, 200 women gathered again at Pudakul on Limilngan-Wulna Country, and put these priorities into action!

In in 2024, 260 women reunited at Crab Claw Island on Larrakia Country for our fifth Strong Women for Healthy Country Forum to continue our collaborative art, music, bush medicine making, healing, self-care, and storytelling. We also shared our achievements and challenges caring for Country and community with each other and learnt new skills. This forum was an opportunity to build transparent governance for our network, one of the priority actions identified in our Strong Women for Healthy Country Strategy.