Our Voices
Listen while we tell you our stories
If you consider this will contain triggers for you and your own personal circumstance, you may want to read the report or the one page fact sheets before deciding whether to listen to the stories
Behind my curtain
The three videos in this section provide an insight into the complexity of young women’s lives. Coping with school when dealing with the reality of life’s competing demands is a key theme across these stories.
The YAWG Project
If they came to my house they’d understand what goes through my head
The YAWG Project
Teachers’ impressions of me
The YAWG Project
They need to look behind the picture
What was happening for me at 10
The stories in this section follow on from Behind my curtain. They describe experiences young women had already had by the time they were 10 years old. These experiences lay the foundations for their interactions with schools and with support services, and contributed to the challenges that they faced in their lives.
The YAWG Project
Growing up with that around, you just know stuff other kids don’t
The YAWG Project
Your life is a bit different from the other kids
The YAWG Project
I’d grab their sandwiches
The YAWG Project
It’s the come down
My experiences at school
During the YAWG research many young women discussed the importance of school. Experiences at school were central to the stories they shared. The stories in this section highlight these experiences, both the positive and the negative.
The YAWG Project
Everyday I got kicked out
The YAWG Project
Help me teach them
The YAWG Project
I threw a chair at him
Experiences of racism
Experiencing racism was a common experience for the young Aboriginal women participating in YAWG. The two stories presented here highlight typical experiences.
The YAWG Project
It feels like you’re being victimised
The YAWG Project
Security officers don’t make us feel safe
Why we don’t talk about these issues
The young women describe situations in which they have had negative experiences in reaching out to services providers, beliefs they have which make it difficult for them to take the first step and engage, and broader family experiences which make women feel it is difficult to talk about their feelings and personal needs. These stories highlight the barriers young women have in accessing support and the challenges they face in reaching out. Understanding these concerns opens the door for stronger engagement.
The YAWG Project
That’s a typical Aboriginal problem
The YAWG Project
We don’t know if it’s good or not
The YAWG Project
Don’t know how to talk about my feelings
The YAWG Project
Being taken away
The YAWG Project
You can tell us, you’re safe with us
The YAWG Project
Lots of us are scared to talk
How I’d like you to talk to me
The stories in this section present both young people’s ideas for service providers to do things differently as well as positive stories about engaging with support services.
The YAWG Project
These are your options
The YAWG Project
Take the time out of their day to ask a kid like me how I’m going
The YAWG Project
They only want to talk to us when there is a problem
The YAWG Project
It starts at 10
The YAWG Project
We can fit you in in another two weeks
The YAWG Project
They’re just there
The YAWG Project
I overthink things, I need to connect with someone
The YAWG Project
You have to feel comfortable
What I want my future to look like
This section presents two stories with a powerful message; that despite the existence of persisting negative stereotypes about young Aboriginal women in Australian society, this group do want to succeed in finishing school, and aim to have productive and stable lives.
The YAWG Project
Stability
The YAWG Project
I want to finish school