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The family law system is fraught with barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Distrust in the legal system, lack of cultural understanding and limited services in remote and regional communities limits Indigenous women’s access to justice through family courts, a study has found.
Dr O’Donnell, a Melbourne University research fellow and Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women affiliate, said Indigenous women are also disproportionately misidentified as perpetrators of family violence, which can damage family law outcomes.
“First Nations women are worried that their children will get taken away from them,” the Kungarakan Warramungu woman told AAP.
“We know nationally the statistics are about 45 per cent of children in out of home care are First Nations children.”
Source: Family law system not safe for Indigenous women: study | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT