Violence Against Aboriginal Women in Australia: Possibilities for Redress within the International Human Rights Framework

Abstract:     
This Article addresses the issue of violence against Aboriginal women. Part I concerns the historical violence against Aboriginal people generally, and Part II concerns violence against Aboriginal women in particular. Part III considers how the priorities and perspectives of Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women differ in significant ways despite their congruence in others. In particular, the Article evaluates the awkward relationship between Aboriginal women and the largely white feminist movement in Australia as a consequence of these different priorities and perspectives, and suggests how political victories for white or non-Aboriginal women could be translated into gains for Aboriginal women. The fourth part of the Article refers to the advantages or possibilities, on the one hand, and the limitations on the other, of the utilization of international human rights law and policy by Aboriginal women to confront these questions in a satisfactory manner.

Part V of the Article peruses some local efforts by Aboriginal women to stem violence. Included is a brief reference to some approaches adopted by Black women in South Africa. The Article's conclusion suggests that these local programs and projects, buttressed by a global human rights discourse that is more accessible than ever before, are far more likely to deal with the issue of violence comprehensively and satisfactorily.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 26

Keywords: human rights, women's rights, indigenous rights, violence against women

Accepted Paper Series