Deadline extended for no-cost applications to attend landmark First Nations women’s summit

First Nations women across Australia are encouraged to take advantage of extra time to apply to be a sponsored delegate at a significant national gathering of First Nations women.  

The deadline for sponsored delegate applications for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit has been extended to Sunday 2 April 2023. Wiyi Yani U Thangani means ‘women’s voices’ in the Bunuba language from Western Australia’s Kimberley region. 

Delivered by the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Summit will take place at the National Convention Centre in Canberra on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country from 9 – 11 May 2023.  

The Commission will sponsor registration and travel for First Nations women to attend the event. The purpose of sponsoring delegates is to ensure a broad range of First Nations women from across regional, rural, remote and urban Australia can participate in the Summit and have their voices heard. Applications for delegate sponsorship must be received by 9pm AEDT on Sunday 2 April 2023. Applications can be made on the event site. 

The summit is set to inform a range of new approaches for advancing the rights, health, safety, wellbeing and economic opportunities of First Nations women and girls. The historic event is designed for First Nations women to speak on their own terms to government, policymakers and service providers about addressing issues affecting First Nations women and children. 

With over 650 delegates expected to attend from across the continent, the Summit will showcase innovative approaches and initiatives led by First Nations women, and will feature three days of engaging discussion, workshops and presentations across a variety of topics. Key thematic areas include self-determination, societal healing, intergenerational wellbeing, economic justice and empowerment. There will also be a range of networking events and activities. 

Paid registrations for the Summit as well as a dedicated Youth Forum on Monday 8 May are also available.  

Program information is available here. 

Applications to be a sponsored delegate can be found here. 

General registrations to attend the Youth Forum and Summit can be found here.

Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au 

The Wiyi Yani U Thangani Project is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and sponsored by Westpac Banking Corporation, Indigenous Business Australia, Telstra Corporation Limited, Rio Tinto Limited, and the Fred Hollows Foundation.