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Aboriginal Women's Leadership Project
(Known formerly as the Women's Shed Project )
Oodnadatta

Update to December 2007

Background
Oodnadatta is near the western edge of the Simpson Desert in northern South Australia, 200 km from Coober Pedy along the unsealed 'Oodnadatta Track'. Largely an Aboriginal community, it has a population of around 200, a health service, police station, two stores and a school.
Women's Health Statewide has regularly visited Oodnadatta since 2002 - thrice yearly visits conducting 'well women's' workshops including aromatherapy, relaxation and massage and stress-relieving activities. During this time the focus has been to assist in the development of the Women's Shed as a safe and welcoming centre for community women's shared activities, one of the only places where they felt trust.

New Partnerships
The Leadership Program commenced in July 07 and culminated in the development of a DVD titled 'Desolation and Hope' launched in Coober Pedy in Dec. The program was conceived and facilitated by Just Living(a private company) with Women's Health Statewide, and by Pete & Kerrie Arthur (musicians/ community development workers) and was funded by

• Australian Women's Coalition Inc (AWC) - one of four National Women's Secretariats, funded in part by Federal Office for Women.
• Women's Health Statewide, Children, Youth and Women's Health Service (SA)
• Building Healthy Communities (Commonwealth funded), which contributed to the development of the DVD
  working in partnership with:
  • Dunjiba Women's Shed
  • DAPPW (Dunjiba Anangu Pikaku Pulkara Wankanyi - Dunjiba People Speak Up Good Health), the Aboriginal Health Advisory Group, Oodnadatta.

Project Design
Three workshops of several days each spanned the period from July to November 2007. In the first workshop participants identified issues and built trust for working together, writing poems and taking photos that represented their inspiration for the future. The second workshop used painting as the artistic medium and focused on particular initiatives central to the women's shared vision. Local leaders from The Women's Shed were supported to co-facilitate some of this work. In the third workshop the musician Pete Arthur worked with the women to produce and record songs from their poems, and develop further the images that captured their vision.

Project aims

• Strengthen the supportive networks of participants to build a leadership group and enhance existing leadership;
• Produce and launch a DVD as an example of women's enterprise and to raise funds for the Women's Shed;
• Increase Aboriginal women's confidence through using artistic media and having their products recognised and valued through publication;
• Build women's capacity to envision better futures for themselves, their families and communities, to articulate priority issues to be addressed, and develop the 'know-how' to accomplish these;
• Build on Aboriginal women's existing skills and traditions.

Challenges - Desolation & Hope
The sheer distance of Oodnadatta from major centres such as Adelaide and Pt Augusta poses problems for the community and their visitors - time and money for transport and accommodation add to the cost of interventions. In addition the extreme heat during summer keeps many services away over those months. Rain is scarce, but when it occurs the unsealed roads are officially closed; the third workshops postponed due to rain.
Funding tends to be short-term, a challenge in addressing long-term problems.

Looking forward
The Oodnadatta women wish to run their own enterprises, and gain greater control over their lives. Future training is central to developing sustainability, through creating a strong local knowledge base, which would enhance local leaders' capacities to develop projects and access resources
Beyond the immediate outcomes of the leadership project, further long-term initiatives are planned including:

• A training course - Certificate 2 in Government - due to occur in 2008, tailored to the needs of community members to become more independent and more skilled in organisational work, advocacy, applying for funding, creating and running their own enterprises.
• Possibilities for selling the women's paintings through outlets that pay Aboriginal artists fairly.
• Negotiations for a guarantee that the Women's Shed and funding for a co-ordinator will continue.
• Connections made with various possible sources of funding, to provide support to further renovate the Women's Shed and the youth centre.
  

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