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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kelly(very well received) presentation style incorporated the passion and ‘from theheart’ approach that I learned working alongside Jo and Rose. Ganma two-wayknowledge sharing and capacity building for both nurse researcher andcommunity co-researchers is made possible through PAR. Everyone benefitsfrom democratic collaborative processes as suggested by Freire in thediscussion of Dialogical Education in Chapter Two.The significance of this research for those involvedCo-researcher reflections 43In late 2007, I invited the four Aboriginal women co-researchers to reflect onwhat our collaborative research had meant for them. The women described theWomen’s Friendship Group as a healing space where they had felt heard,valued and acknowledged. It was also safe space where they could talk aboutwhat was bothering them and think things through, as well as focus onstrengths and abilities, hope and celebrations. They felt welcomed, like webelonged. They said that the way we all made decisions together in the groupas well as supporting each other to make decisions in our own lives hadenabled them to heal enough, and trust enough to attend other health services,including Aboriginal health services (AWG R1).Some of the women looked back and saw that our time and activities togetherhad given them the additional tools and confidence they needed to take thenext step toward significant changes in their own lives. The women identifiedmy role of nurse/researcher/facilitator as being someone who had the time,inclination and ability to listen to and work with them. I was seen as a friendlycommunication person, a link between community and the changing anddeveloping health services. Most important for some, was that that they knewthat I was someone who cared. At the end of our collaboration activities, thefour core women went in different directions. One left a violent partner andbegan employment for the first time in many years. Another moved to adifferent part of Adelaide to make a new start with her children. The other twowomen remained connected wit the campus and attended a women’s group,43 This section privileges co-researcher perceptions, and is purposefully placed before myinterpretation and discussion of the findings.195