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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kelly(Ashcroft 2001b); we quietly stepped out of the expected pattern of who hasauthority over knowledge, creating opportunities for the women to becomerecognised experts in their own right. For the women themselves, beingacknowledged as people who held significant knowledge that was worthy ofsharing became a highly significant turning point.Culturally safe PARThe PAR process was a very important aspect of this transformation. Cocreatinga culturally safe and inclusive research approach was a positive stepforward. Adapting Stringer’s (2007) Look, Think and Act to become Look andListen, Think and Discuss and Take Action, specifically addressed thewomen’s concerns regarding being forgotten and unheard. Using Aboriginalhealth research ethics (NHMRC 2003) as a guide, we found pragmatic ways toinclude reciprocity, respect, equality, responsibility, survival and protectionand spirit and integrity in the research process. As discussed earlier, supportingand putting into action the women’s vision for the Women’s Friendship Group,co-writing and co-presenting at well recognised conferences, and activelychoosing a range of health care options all enabled the women to be situated asimportant, recognised and valued.Summing upThis Collaboration Area has identified important issues related to the provisionof culturally safe health care from the perspective of four Aboriginalcommunity women in urban Adelaide. These women’s highest priorityinvolved addressing complex issues that they experienced as carers, Aboriginalwomen struggling with the impact of ongoing colonisation, discrimination andexclusion and lower social determinants of health. In the past they hadexperienced comprehensive primary health care and community developmentprograms and found that these suited their needs more than selective primarycare programs. However, with subsequent health system changes, they felttheir preferences and priorities were being ignored. The women sought ways to‘level the playing field’ and ensure that their opinions and needs could impacton decisions being made about the kind of services being provided for them.They found the process of collaboratively developing, enacting, evaluating and206