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THURSDAY 9 MARCH 2023 TORRES NEWS
A Women’s Week to Remember: empowering
Pic above and right by Ella Kris. All other pics by Brendan John.
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Women of all ages from Saibai, Mabuiag, Badu, Kubin, St Paul’s, Iama, Hammond, Warraber, Masig, Erub and Mer came together for an Empowered Women, Empower Women workshop on Warraber last week. “The workshop was aimed at empowering women to believe in themselves,” Torres Strait Island Regional Council Health & Wellbeing Manager Ella Kris said. “I personally believe that women who are empowered will empower others,” she said. “The workshop included a session on First5Forever, climate change and a smaller session on developing an TSIRC Domestic and Family Violence Action Plan.” She said over the course of the three-day event, “we witnessed women being empowered to stand up and speak with confidence”. Participant Lala Gutchen said it was a “wow” experience for her. “It was really eye-opening, like overwhelming,” she said. “Lots of different women from different places that have that same mindset of leadership that they want to develop. “They already have it developing them, but have a workshop like that, really lifted them up to keep on going and people sharing different ideas – it was really like wow.” The workshop included public speaking, sharing of beliefs, fashion show, calypso band and crafting. Speakers included WomanSpeak’s Chantal Roelofs and First5Forever’s Jaqui Ruhl. “These women are the protectors and sharers of cultural knowledge and cultural ways – very unique in this part of the world,” Chantal said. “These women are weavers, fishers, makers of cultural culinary dishes, story-tellers and the holders of vision of the futures of these islands. “To witness these women dive into WomanSpeak practices was something to behold – speaking their deep truths and deeply held beliefs. “The power of these women on the room – whoaaaaa – the Elders and young ones alike.” Lala said they had learned from their experience. “We learned about all sorts of things that really help us, especially if you’re doing public speaking,” she said.
“For me, I do a lot of public speaking with the language work that I’m doing in my community. “So I’m showing leadership as a woman with trying to revive the language and attending forums and other workshops around the region. “It helped give me tools to stand in front of a lot of people and talk, and I got to share my experience of doing climate action work in Torres Strait.” She said she was sure more women would step up as a result of their experience. “More women can be a gamechanger in their region,” she said. “They thought about stepping up and be leaders one day in their community. “As a young woman, I do a lot of leadership work and that really helped me to feel I was in a safe area where I could speak up in front of women, especially when you’re in a male dominant area, sometimes you don’t have the courage to speak up. “But then this kind of workshop reminded us that we are special and we have rights, we can stand up and talk.” Lala said she was keen to use what she had learned. “For me as a young woman, I want to use more of the tools and better myself and hopefully be a leader one day,” she said. “I never thought about going outside of that leadership, but if time comes, and it calls me to do that, then I’ll go take that stand because I know I can do it, yes.” Chantal said they had seen some amazing results. “By the end of the time together, every woman was getting up, speaking confidently and clearly and from their heart,” she said. “I look forward to seeing how these women take this work forward and empower other women. “To all women across the Torres Strait – find out which women came along to our time on Warraber, seek them out, have a cup of tea and have a yarn. “This workshop was all about empowered women, empowering women, so these women who came to Warraber, they are empowered with a lot of good information, new skill and technique, and they’re the women that will pass on this knowledge and these techniques to you.”
