ABSTRACT
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been at the forefront of resisting power and advocating against numerous modes of violence perpetrated against them. From oppressive acts of the state, societal issues relating to racism and discrimination and interpersonal acts of physical, verbal and sexual violence, these women have responded in various ways. Yet there are still gaps in the research relating to violence (and in particular, sexual offences against women) that must be addressed in order to unpack its interplay with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. How do we begin to deal with sexual violence for Indigenous women in Australia when we haven’t even begun to deal with oppressive power structures that ignore racism in this country? This chapter explores what is missing in our understanding of sexual violence and the push/pull of power that interacts between Australian society and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. It examines the structural reinforcement of power discrepancies that exist, including that of institutional domains, white feminist discourse and gaps in the data that are just part of the story in discussing violence against Black Australian women.
