Strong Women for Healthy Country Network
by Gemma Cadd, Conservation Officer - Indigenous Stewardship Team (Australia)
From Monday 17 August to Friday 21 August 2026, I (Gemma Cadd) had the privilege of attending the 6th Strong Women for Healthy County Forum at Bawurrbarnda Outstation in Central Arnhem Land.
As a first time visitor to the Northern Territory I was not sure what to expect when I arrived. What I experienced was more than just a forum for people to talk about Caring for Country and a celebration of the Strong Women for Healthy Country Network, but a gathering to celebrate the strength of Indigenous Women, centred on connection, wellbeing and culture.
Shared Vision
The Strong Women for Healthy Country Network supported by Mimal Land Management spent the first few years of its development creating a shared vision, building connections and planning for the future.
The network has since grown over a series of annual forums. In 2021 the network developed the Message Sticks Group, a self-elected representative body acting as key representatives of their respective communities to make decisions on behalf of the whole network.
By 2022 and 2023 the Network had designed a strategic plan to take action on identified priorities and developed their Rule Book. A significant milestone was reached when shortly after their fifth forum the network register with Oric in November 2024 to become an independent Aboriginal Corporation.
The Network’s shared vision statement reflects the importance of the gathering:
We are strong Indigenous women of the Northern Territory. We stand united as one strong voice. We commit to a network that gives equal power to the rights of all our women. Strong Women means Healthy Country.
More than a forum
We camped on Bawurrbarnda Outstation where the first forum was held in 2019. I arrived at the forum knowing only a few people through a brief meeting online. Though I was the only one there from TNC, and my cultural background was from south-eastern Australia, a few thousand kilometres from Northern mob, I never felt like an outsider. Everyone there was up for a yarn and to laugh as we shared meals by the dawning light or by campfires scattered around the station at night. Women moved between groups; to share stories and build connections with rangers they may never have known about without the Network’s support and desire to keep women connected.
As I spent time at the forum, listening to each session and participating in all the workshops set up around the station I came to appreciate how important these gatherings are. They are more than just about work, policy or management actions. They are also a safe space for women to connect to Country, community and culture, a space for respite, for women to support each other and to share stories they may be difficult to raise in other settings.
I enjoyed participating in the wide range of cultural and wellbeing activities offered, including art, storytelling and other hands-on workshops. One of the most fascinating was learning how seasonal calendars are developed. Hearing about how women pay attention to the changes in plants flowering, animal activity and environmental changes throughout the year to know when the right time to hunt particular animals or to perform fire management activities.
Two workshops in particular left a strong impression on me. The first was focused on Best Practice Principles for employing Women Caring for Country, recommendations to create workplaces can women can thrive professionally and personally, while also fulfilling their personal, cultural and community responsibilities.
The second was the Keeping Our Ways Strong kite-making activity. Here participants were invited to paint and decorate kites with what matters most to them and why they are working as rangers. As we took the time to sit, paint and yarn, common themes kept appearing: Country, Community and Family. These themes were not disconnected, they all appeared together intertwined with equal importance.
Some of my favourite moments happened outside formal sessions, such as being guided by a local elder down to the billabong to listen to stories as we gazed upon its clear waters.
As the Network continues to grow, members are looking beyond the Northern Territory and exploring opportunities to bring together Indigenous ranger groups and networks from across Australia.
The forum created a space where women can support each other and build collaborative approaches to looking after Country grounded in culture, community and shared experiences. While looking after their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of their community as they work. Reminding me throughout the week of the Networks vision, “Strong Women means Healthy Country”. Recognising healthy communities and Healthy Country cannot be separated. I left the forum with a deeper appreciation of the strength of Indigenous Women in the Northern Territory.
