On July 28th, She Gives hosted a national online roundtable focused on Understanding First Nations Perspectives on Women’s Giving. The session brought together First Nations women from across Australia to share their experiences and insights as part of our broader research into women’s giving.
Tanya Hosch, a member of the She Gives Advisory Group, opened the discussion by reflecting on reciprocity and the deep cultural responsibility to support others -principles that have always underpinned First Nations approach to giving.
A Torres Strait Islander woman from South Australia, Tanya is a widely respected leader in Indigenous policy, social inclusion, and governance. She was also the first woman interviewed by She Gives in its commitment to sharing 100 Stories of Women’s Giving. (Read her story here)
Tanya introduced Leah Armstrong, She Gives First Nations Advisor, who led the main panel discussion. Leah, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman, brings more than 30 years’ experience in business and the not-for-profit sector and has been instrumental in Indigenous affairs nationally.
Leah facilitated a thoughtful conversation with two leading First Nations women:
Following the panel, participants joined small virtual breakout groups to share personal experiences of giving. These discussions provided valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing First Nations women in philanthropy, and more broadly.
She Gives Founder Melissa Smith said: “These conversations are a powerful reminder of the deep cultural knowledge and lived experience that First Nations women bring to the way they give and lead in community. Listening and learning is not just important; it’s essential to building a more inclusive story of women’s giving in Australia. A message we heard come through strongly was the importance of backing women leaders”.
The rich insights shared during this gathering will directly contribute to the She Gives National Research Report. Being conducted in partnership with CSI UWA, this will be the most comprehensive research report into how and why women give and the opportunities to grow giving in Australia.
We thank all the remarkable women who attended for their openness and contribution. There is much work still to be done, but this event, and the roundtables like it that She Gives has held across the country, leave us inspired and hopeful about the future of giving in Australia.
