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Alignment of Reconciliation and WLSQ Values
Care | Respect | Inclusivity | Accountability | Collaboration Women’s Legal Service Queensland (WLSQ) exists to provide accessible legal and social justice for a safer future for women and children. Since 1984, we have supported women experiencing domestic and family violence with free, specialist legal help. Guided by feminist values of care, respect, inclusivity, accountability and collaboration, we work to address the inequalities women face and improve the systems meant to serve them. Reconciliation, to us, means recognising these barriers and acting with compassion to create meaningful change.
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Women’s Legal Service Queensland (WLSQ) made a powerful commitment to reconciliation by joining Reconciliation Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program. With our first Reflect RAP running from March 2024 to March 2025, WLSQ joined over 2,500 organisations working to advance reconciliation across Australia.
This Reflect RAP will lay a strong foundation for future initiatives, directly addressing important issues like race relations, equality, institutional integrity, unity, and historical acceptance. Together, we’re building a path forward that aligns with our mission to create a more just and inclusive society for all.
As a part of our reconciliation journey, WLSQ’s RAP working group connected with Goreng Goreng artist, Rachael Sarra, in December 2023 to discuss the values, past achievements and future goals of our service in providing trauma informed, culturally appropriate services to Queensland women.
Rachael was then commissioned to create a unique piece to encapsulate our mission entitled “Her Story” which now hangs proudly in our Milton client reception area.
As a part of our commitment to the WLSQ RAP we also had lanyards, shirts, t-shirts and scarves with Rachael’s artwork created so we could wear our value and this beautiful artwork.
We thank Rachael for her continued support of our organisation and for creating this impactful work.
“At the centre of everything is our women, surrounded by respect, trust and care that WLSQ provides. Through care, collaboration and community we build trust and hold space to tell HER story. Through cultural safety and respect we empower our women to feel safe and worthy. This enables them to build strength within themselves, allowing this strength which has rippling effects to all women in our community.” – Rachael Sarra
Our mission to provide accessible legal and social justice for women and children means prioritising the unique challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. With 9% of our clients identifying as First Nations in the 2024-25 fiscal year, we see a clear need to better support these women and address their over-representation in the justice system.
The impacts of colonisation continue to shape the legal and social barriers First Nations women face today. The legacy of dispossession, forced removal of children, systemic discrimination, and racial violence has contributed to intergenerational trauma, economic disadvantage, and a lack of trust in legal institutions.
This underreporting is largely due to:
By delivering culturally competent services, we can provide First Nations women with respectful, relevant, and trauma-informed support. This commitment, paired with staff training in cultural competence, improves service quality, strengthens trust, and ensures more women feel safe seeking help. Your role as staff members in embracing these practices directly impacts our ability to challenge systemic injustice and advocate for change.
Working alongside First Nations women and community-controlled services enriches our work, fostering cross-cultural understanding and stronger referral pathways. Together, we can build a more inclusive, responsive, and just service that meets the needs of all women in our community.
Who is on our First Nations Advisory Group
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While we hold informed views on issues affecting First Nations communities, we are not an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, nor do we speak on behalf of all First Nations women. The issues we have highlighted here are some of the key areas within our sphere of expertise. We know that there are a multitude of intersecting issues which affect First Nations Women. We are committed to listening, learning, and advocating responsibly in partnership with communities and experts.
We advocate for:
Training for judicial officers and lawyers that is comprehensive, ongoing, and tailored, and addresses unconscious bias and the unique needs and experiences of First Nations communities.
Identifying and removing discriminatory practices, policies and procedures within the legal system that create barriers for First Nations women.
A child protection system that prioritises the best interests of children and keeps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families together, acknowledging their overrepresentation in the child protection system.
A family law system that is accessible, simple, trauma-informed and recognises the unique cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and children.
A domestic violence system that is accessible, simple, trauma-informed and recognises the unique cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, acknowledging that First Nations women are overrepresented as victims of violence and are often misidentified as the perpetrator of domestic violence.
The Woodward Commission was crucial in recognising Aboriginal land rights in the Northern Territory. Its recommendations led to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
As an organisation founded on the values of accountability and inclusion, WLSQ stands with our First Nations sisters and people. We hear and respect their stories.
We acknowledge their experiences and trauma as a part of our collective history.
Is an Aboriginal-led campaign to raise awareness of the devasting impacts of family violence in Aboriginal communities and a call for action to end the violence.
On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the National Apology to Australia’s Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the injustices of past government policies, particularly to the Stolen Generation
National Close the Gap Day, observed on the third Thursday in March, raises awareness and seeks to close the gap with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, educational and employment outcomes between Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non-Indigenous Australians.
The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.
The 1967 Referendum was a landmark achievement following decades of activism by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous people, where more than 90 percent of Australians voted in favour of amending two sections of the Australian Constitution.
On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia overturned the principle of “terra nullius” or “nobody’s land” as claimed by the British when they first arrived in this country. The decision has paved the way for Native Title legislation.
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
From humble beginnings the Musgrave Park Family Fun Day has grown into the most significant celebration of Aboriginal culture and continues to be a great celebration and demonstration of Australia First Nations people gathering to celebrate our culture.
During NAIDOC week WLSQ organises a stall at this event in South Brisbane
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about the crucial impact that community, culture and family play in the life of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child.
On this day, people from around the world are encouraged to spread the United Nation’s message on the protection and promotion of the rights of Indigenous peoples.
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) is a national charity of the Australian Book Industry, working with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities across Australia.
The Declaration is the outcome of 25 years of hard negotiations. The rights spelled out in the document “constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world.” The Declaration protects the collective rights and individual rights of Indigenous Peoples in relation to self-government, land, education, employment, health, and other areas.
Please provide us with more suggestions for what we should include on this page, send us an email rapwg@wslq.org.au
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. We honour the resilience and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, who have strengthened their families and communities for generations.
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