Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet KellyThe practicalities of successful co-presentingThe co-researchers have given me permission to use their names in thisaccount as their involvement is already publicly known in conference abstracts.The following is an excerpt from my journal.Our presentation at the ISEqH conference was scheduled for latemorning. I arrived early at (school drop off time) at Gilles Plains to meetRose who was to co-present with me. When she arrived she said thatshe was not able to come as there was a sick child in the family thatneeded to be taken to hospital. Having a woman centred approachenabled me to understand, support and respect her priorities andensure that her family had transport available (they did). I then turned toanother of the women and asked if she were available to co-present.We had all co-written the information, so it was known to all of us. Shesaid that she herself had a medical appointment for one of her childrenand could not attend, but suggested we try Jo who should be droppingher child off at kindy about now.We went across to the kindergarten and met up with Jo who said shecould come, but she needed to go home and first. She asked that Icome back and meet her later, and could we be back in time to pick upher daughter from kindergarten. Her youngest daughter would be withus. I thanked her and agreed with all of her suggestions.I met Jo and her daughter as planned and went in to the conferencewhich was being held at a city university. On the way in we decidedwho would say which bits of the presentation. We settled in, listened toa few presentations and then went up to prepare. We negotiated tospeak first rather than third in our session, so that we could get back toKindy in time. We all three went up onto the stage area explaining tothe audience that Rose could not attend, and that Jo had stepped in atthe last minute. Jo’s daughter sat in the lectern at our feet and fromtime to time added her own comments to the presentation, all of whichwas easily heard by the audience. For example, when Jo wasemphasising the importance of close relationships by saying ‘Janet isone of us’. Her daughter tugged her pants and said ‘but no mum she’s191