By Neena Bhandari
Sydney, 15.06.2009 (Women’s Feature Service): Indigenous Aboriginal women from the remote Western Australian town of Fitzroy Crossing have saved their community from the scourge of alcohol abuse, domestic violence and foetal alcohol syndrome by successfully fighting for alcohol restrictions in the region. The town has a total population of 928 persons, with 67.3 per cent Indigenous persons.
In 2007, a group of courageous Aboriginal women in the outback town of Fitzroy Crossing decided enough was enough. Their community had experienced 13 suicides in 13 months and many premature deaths. Family violence and child abuse were rife and alcohol consumption was rising at an alarming rate.
“Growing alcohol consumption was decimating our community, which was numb with grief. So a group of us women, who feel strongly about social issues and want to improve the health and happiness of our community, supported by some men, made the hard decisions and collectively fought for alcohol restriction,” informs Emily Carter, Chairperson, Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre‘s (MWRC). The MWRC led this movement against alcohol from the front.