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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet KellyAboriginal health team co-researchers recognised dance as a healthy activitythat would promote fitness, self esteem and positive identity and supported theyoung women as best they could. They recognised dance as a more energeticstyle of art and craft as well as a positive step forward in improving selfconfidence. One worker added;if they can get the confidence to get up and dance in front of strangers,they are more likely to have the confidence to negotiate safe and positiverelationships (HS D8).Term 4, 2006 -Aboriginal women’s health dayIn term four, a second Aboriginal women’s health day was held at theAboriginal Outreach Health Service and the young women were invited toattend. Health staff took the opportunity to follow up some of their suggestionsfrom the first Aboriginal Women’s Health Day and the young women’s gettogether. The young women once again joined in the activities, learning andsharing alongside the other women who welcomed them once again.Term 1, 2007 - Sexual Health Awareness WeekIn late 2006 we began to collaboratively plan for a school based event onValentines Day, 2007. Each year Shine SA launches Sexual Health AwarenessWeek (SHAW) with the theme Safety, Pleasure, Respect. Education coresearchersand students were interested in holding a SHAW event at theWindsor Gardens Vocational College. Staff members applied for the fundinggrant and three of the young Aboriginal women met with the AboriginalEducation Worker and health co-researchers to provide input into the planning.More often they had discussions prior to the meeting and the AboriginalEducation Worker relayed the information during the meeting as some of theyoung women were shy, particularly with the different health staff attending.Unfortunately, the Aboriginal health team had less and less involvement in theplanning and then no involvement on the day. The end of 2006 and beginningof 2007 was a time where there was no onsite health manager, there were manychanges in staff, and clients with very complex and distressing needs had comeflooding in. Communication between staff members was interrupted and aplanned health promotion Bush Mechanics Stall did not occur on the day as286