The Red Rose Foundation acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we live and work.

 

We pay our respects to Elders past and present and recognise their continuing connection to Country, culture, community and kinship. ​We acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience domestic and family violence at disproportionately high rates and often face greater barriers to accessing support and justice. We recognise that these experiences are shaped by the ongoing impacts of colonisation, dispossession, intergenerational trauma and systemic inequity.

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We want all women to feel safe, respected and supported when they reach out to us.

The Red Rose Foundation is committed to providing culturally safe, trauma-informed and person-centred support. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are best placed to identify solutions for their communities and that services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, play a critical role in supporting safety, healing and wellbeing.

 

We recognise the significant and ongoing impact of domestic and family violence-related deaths on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. As an organisation dedicated to learning from domestic and family violence fatalities to prevent future deaths, we are committed to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, experiences and perspectives help inform our work, advocacy and efforts to improve systems and responses.

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Consistent with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (2020) and the aspirations of Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to End Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence 2026–2036, we are committed to listening, learning and working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations. We recognise that meaningful and lasting change is achieved through genuine partnership, shared decision-making, community leadership and respect for self-determination. We support the principle that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are best placed to identify solutions for their communities, and that community-controlled, culturally led responses are essential to improving safety, healing and wellbeing.

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To support this commitment, the Red Rose Foundation has established relationships with specialist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and practitioners. These partnerships help guide our work by providing cultural advice, training, education and practice guidance on the issues that matter most to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experiencing domestic and family violence. They help us strengthen our services, challenge our assumptions, and ensure we remain accountable to the communities we seek to support.

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We value the expertise, leadership and lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and communities. We are committed to continuous learning and improvement, ensuring that our services remain responsive, respectful and culturally safe. ​Where appropriate, we will work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to support women to access culturally specific services and supports, recognising that women should have the choice to engage with services that reflect their culture, identity, community and values.

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The Red Rose Foundation stands alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, families and communities in working towards a future free from domestic and family violence.

 

Through listening, learning and partnership, we are committed to supporting those affected by violence, learning from lives lost, and helping to prevent future deaths so that together, we can change the ending.