Before being appointed as the Australian Capital Territory’s inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people commissioner, I had witnessed first-hand the national epidemic of violence against women. As a survivor of forcible removal, I can sadly observe that we are still failing in our efforts to curb it. My time in this position has only reinforced this realisation.
I have witnessed all aspects of gender-based violence. But what continues to shatter my whole being is the disproportionate rate of gender-based violence that continues to affect Aboriginal women, children and young people.
