NT POLICE

Police officer and safer communities’ advocate NT Local Hero Sergeant Erica Gibson is an engaging and enthusiastic leader creating safer communities for Northern Territory women.

NTCOSS

Tessa Snowdon is the Senior Policy Officer responsible for domestic, family and sexual violence reduction and reform with the Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS).

CEO, WOSSCA

Larissa is a long-term resident of Alice Springs, having grown up here and returned after obtaining her social work qualification.  Larissa has over 25 years of experience working in the Central Australia region.

CO-COORDINATOR OF WOMEN’S FAMILY SAFETY GROUP

Shirleen is a member of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council supporting the development of a National Plan to end family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia, and was voted the NT Local Hero in 2020.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGAL SERVICE

Esther Nambiar started her legal career in Western Australia at Daydawn Advocacy Centre following her admission to the WA Supreme Court in 2013. Taking on the role of Managing Solicitor at the DVLS in 2020, Esther has pioneered ground-breaking programs in the Northern Territory to support victim-survivors of domestic violence, including a Therapy Dog Pilot at Darwin Local Court and domestic, family and sexual violence training for NT Police recruits.

NT ABORIGINAL ADVISORY BOARD ON DOMESTIC, FAMILY AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Connnie Shaw was born and bred in Alice Springs. She lives at Mt Nancy Town Camp. She is a member of the Tangentyere Women's Family Safety Group (TWFSG), which she began attending when she was only 16. Connie is a member of the NT Youth Round Table and she has recently been appointed as a member of the Northern Territory's Aboriginal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on domestic, family, and sexual violence.

NPY WOMENS COUNCIL

Chloe has worked in the community legal sector since 2017. In Central Australia, Chloe has provided front line DFV services and a wide range of community legal education programs. She is driven by malparara-malparara ways of working with her team at the NPY Women’s Council, and by learning from community about how the law can move beyond reform and be wholly reimagined. Chloe is currently studying a graduate certificate in creative therapies.

NT LEGAL AID

Fiona Hussin has worked in the legal assistance sector including Community Legal Centres, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Legal Aid.  Fiona has been the Deputy Director of the NT Legal Aid Commission since 2013 and in this time has continued to advocate for adequate funding, improved systems and law reform for people experiencing domestic and family violence.

FAMILY HARM COORDINATION PROJECT

Detective Superintendent Kirsten Engels is based in Alice Springs and oversees the Crime response across regional and remote Northern Territory. Kirsten has policed in New Zealand and Queensland prior to arriving in the Northern Territory in 2011. She has a background in the investigation of child abuse, sex crimes and domestic violence, developing and delivering the current vulnerable persons interviewing course to police investigators. In 2022, Kirsten implemented the Family Harm Coordination Project in Alice Springs to improve the police response to domestic violence incidents.

THE EQUALITY INSTITUTE

Dr Chay Brown has been researching violence against women since 2012 and works closely with Aboriginal women’s groups in the Northern Territory to prevent family violence. Chay’s doctoral research explored what works to prevent violence against women in the Northern Territory, which led to the development of a Northern Territory specific violence prevention framework. In 2021, Chay was the project lead on research exploring experiences of technology-facilitated abuse among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in regional and remote areas. Chay is also the project lead on the PARt Project, working closely with the PARt consortium and Tangentyere Council. Chay has previously worked in safe houses and for an anti-trafficking organisation, supporting women who have survived sex trafficking. 

CAAFLU

PC Clarke is an Aranda woman and CEO of CAAFLU, a specialist community-controlled Family Violence Prevention & Legal service (FVPLS) for Aboriginal victim-survivors of DFSV. PC is a qualified social worker and has been working for justice and systemic change for First Nations people since she was 17. PC began at CAAFLU the day the doors opened in 2000, providing frontline support to victim-survivors before being appointed CEO in 2010. PC is also Deputy Chair of the National FVPLS Forum, the peak body advocating for justice for First Nations victim-survivors of DFSV nation-wide. In this role, PC is the family violence subject matter expert in the Coalition of Peaks on Closing the Gap. PC is passionate about self-determination and Aboriginal led solutions.

SOUTH SUDAN VOICES OF SALVATION

Apajok is the chairperson and co-founder of South Sudan Voices of Salvation Inc., a not-for profit youth-run and led organisation, that speaks up against all forms of injustice and violations of human rights. Apajok is also the co-Founder and member of Angaac Women Association Australia, a women-led and -run organisation that understands humanitarian aid and supports women in South Sudan as well as Australian based South Sudanese and Angaac community women. Apajok is on the board of the Women’s Museum of Australia. She is also part of the Gender Audit team to UNHCR and a co-representative of the Refugee Advisory Group to UNHCR on refugee resettlement. In 2019/2020, Apajok was the regional focal point for the Asia region to the United Nations major group for children and youth on migration.

KUNGA STOPPING VIOLENCE PROGRAM

Rachel Neary has been the coordinator of the Kunga Stopping Violence Program for nearly two years. She has a vast experience of working in the NT for over eleven years in the area of domestic, family and sexual violence in both front line, educational and training, youth respectful relationships, community development and management and policy roles. Rachel comes from a background in social work and community development and has worked both interstate and internationally prior to moving to the NT. Rachel worked as a specialist consultant on the Talking Respect resource, a resource designed and implemented to prevent domestic family and sexual violence and foster healthy relationships for young people.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ADVISORY COUNCIL

Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council on family, domestic and sexual violence. Ms Creamer is a Waanyi/Kalkadoon woman. She is an Adjunct Professor in Public Health at the University of Queensland. She was awarded a Member of the Order Of Australia (AM) award in the Queens Birthday Honours 2019 list by the Attorney General of Australia for her work with Indigenous women and peoples. Ms Creamer is an advisor for the Seventh Generation Board Fund, is on the Board of the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, is on the Advisory team for the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner and former CEO of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance (NATSIWA). Ms Creamer has been passionate in her work for Indigenous women and peoples and supports Indigenous women globally through her board/advisors positions.

TANGENTYERE COUNCIL

Maree Corbo has worked with both victims and perpetrators of Domestic and Family Violence for over 20 years and is currently the Co- Manager of the Family Safety and Social Services programs at Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs. Programs under the Community Safety umbrella include the Tangentyere Ketyeye (children’s programs) and the Family Violence Prevention Programs Tangentyere Council is an Aboriginal community controlled organisation and the primary service provider for a service population in excess of 3300 Aboriginal people living on or visiting on the 16 Alice Springs Town Camps. Maree works closely with the Town Camp residents who have local knowledge, experience and importantly a key understanding of the cultural strengths of their community and as a result takes a “ground up” approach to the development and continuation of programs within the Division.

CULTURAL CONSULTANT, PENANGKE

Raymond Walters Penangke who has lived and worked in remote and urban Aboriginal communities for over forty years is committed to enhancing the economic growth, welfare and social inclusion of Aboriginal people. His grandfather's country is Ngarleyekwerleng north of Yuendumu and his grandmother's country is Atnangkerre (Utopia) from the Anmatyere language group with extended connections to the Arrernte, Western Aranda, Alywarre, Warlpiri and Kaytetye language groups. Born in Alice Springs, raised on Mt Nancy camp and remote communities with family, Raymond knows first-hand the hardships and challenges Aboriginal people and communities face every day. With extensive experience working in government and nongovernment organisations throughout the Northern Territory, Raymond has invested his lifework in sharing his experience to benefit and guide others, while maintaining his ambitions to continually learn and grow. Raymond's extensive professional network reflects the breadth of his professional experience. Raymond currently holds a graduate diploma in Public Health from Deakin University's. He is passionate about contributing to making strong and sustainable change to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

ROYAL DARWIN HOSPITAL

Dr Lucy Owen is an Emergency Physician currently working at Royal Darwin and Palmerston Regional Hospitals. She has the portfolio of Domestic and Family Violence quality improvement and is currently engaged in a number of projects to improve the care of people experiencing DFV who present to the ED. Originally from Townsville in North Queensland she has been in Darwin for 3 years having married a local when she was in Darwin 10 years ago as a medical student. She has 2 large elderly rescue dogs and a 6 year old son who loves talking non-stop, playing AFL and drums.

WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY

Michelle is a Senior Research Fellow who lives and works in Mparntwe. She started her career in alcohol research in Queensland in 2010. Since 2015, she has committed her research energy to disability, with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery needs after traumatic brain injury. Michelle and her colleagues are currently working on a multi-sited urban, regional and remote project that aims to understand the strengths and gaps in service design and delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who live with traumatic brain injury from violence.

CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN WOMENS LEGAL SERVICE

Anna Ryan is the CEO at Central Australian Womens Legal Service that provides a free generalist legal service, including, family law, child protection, employment, housing, victims of crime, employment to all women in Central Australia and the Barkly region, as well as a Specialist Domestic Violence Unit incorporating Health Justice Partnerships and we provide Community Legal Education and Training to organisations, businesses and members of the public. Prior to becoming CEO, Anna was the Principle Legal Officer and Legal Practice Manager at CAWLS and has worked for the organisation for over 12 years. The immediate safety and ongoing empowerment through representation, advocacy and education for all women is a priority in her role and for the CAWLS team. CAWLS assisted 1412 women, throughout service, across the past year.