The arrival of 26 January each year invariably brings discussion about the many uncomfortable truths in our nation’s story, including our history of colonisation.
But what is often overlooked is that colonisation is not just a moment confined to history. As the leaders of two organisations that work to address violence against women, we see the ongoing impact of colonisation every day in the shockingly high rates of violence experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
It is impossible to combat this violence without understanding the long-lasting impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. An impact that goes beyond the massacres, introduced diseases and displacement of the past, and continues today through intergenerational trauma, gaps in life expectancy and systemic discrimination.
