More than 50 First Nations women gather in Canberra for the Straight Talk Summit in an effort to gain a greater understanding of how parliament operates.
The federal election marked a new phase of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in politics, with a record 11 First Nations MPs in Parliament.The Straight Talk Summit has been running since 2009 as a way to encourage Indigenous women to step into politics
"Seeing women walk through these halls for the first time is really something quite phenomenal," said Michelle Deshong, the program's facilitator.It's a sharply cold morning when the big group of First Nations women arrive at Parliament House. "I think a lot of the time people are trying to enact change, but sometimes they don't know where the right place is to start or who the right people are in terms of the decision makers that they need to be talking to," she said.She's been with the program since it kicked off in 2009.
Kerrissa O'Meara from Derby in Western Australia's Kimberley region is an intense family support officer, working with kids and families to re-engage them back in school.
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