The Institute acknowledges the NT Government’s commitment to re-shaping its Gender Equality Statement of Commitment and Action Plan with a broader, long-term gender equality strategy, and emphasise that it must be shaped by the values and needs of community members, in particular First Nations women who experience increased vulnerability and inequality. The Institute, through almost a decade of engagement with First Nations women, girls and gender-diverse peoples across the country, including in the NT, offers our support in shaping the Strategy into one which responds to and strengthens the rights and wellbeing of women and gender-diverse peoples.

This Submission draws on the above resources to respond to the key focus areas as well as highlights systemic elements that are critical to the success of the Strategy. In Part 1 of this submission, we describe the frameworks in which the Strategy must be grounded in—an intersectional gender-lens, systems change approach, and the Institute’s measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework. It also discusses community engagement and leadership as a foundational process to ensure the values and lived experiences of women, girls and gender-diverse peoples are reflected in the Strategy and its implementation.

In Part 2, the Submission dives into three focus areas described in the Consultation Paper: Health and Wellbeing, Safety, and Economic Justice providing a critical First Nations gender justice lens. The Submission also addresses a missing focus area of gender and climate change, reflecting the vital importance of addressing this intersection and the opportunity for the NT government to be a leader in responding to the impacts of climate change on women and girls.