Building on the foundation of evidence—First Nations women’s voices, knowledges, work and research The importance of having First Nations women leading the research around violence against women is critical, it's foundational. I can't underestimate how important that is. We are grounded in community experiences. We are often also grounded by lived experiences. We bring an intersectional lens to understanding the problem, and also the solutions. We centre the importance of Indigenous women's self-determination. And that is fundamental. I can't stress that enough. When Indigenous women experience violence, their self-determination is taken away from them. This plan has to be how we give back self-determination. And do that in a fundamental way.15 Scientia Associate Professor, Dr Kyllie Cripps, Forum panelist This overview of the evidence base informed by the work of First Nations women practitioners and researchers is not exhaustive. It is intended to bring together a single summary of the key policy issues to support shared understanding as the Australian Government progresses consultation on the standalone National Plan. This evidence has been vital in ensuring that the unique and multilayered reasons for why violence happens in the lives of First Nations women, children and families is understood. Without it, the experiences of First Nations women and children is either erased or reduced to mainstream perspectives and as such First Nations women and children’s needs are not effectively considered in the forming of policy and legislation. Violence can only be understood in the social, cultural and political contexts in which it occurs First Nations literature and voices have continuously pointed to the context of colonisation and trauma as critical to understanding violence perpetrated against First Nations women, children, LGBTIQA+SB people, and those with disabilities. Research highlights the impacts of colonisation and trauma in a historical sense, as an ongoing intergenerational process, and as perpetuating and causing contemporary issues and cycles of harm. Dispossession of land, separation of families and communities, ongoing marginalisation from racism and discrimination and in particular the forcible removal of children, are historic traumas and continue through current structures. They are deeply linked with the experiences of family violence, serving both as a cause and effect of intergenerational trauma and violent behaviours.16 Our voices are continually derided, placed to the sidelines, lost in the chorus of mainstream feminism, who perhaps unintentionally, do not realise that the fights for gender equality have always been within white structures, and have alienated many Aboriginal women, who are often fighting alongside Aboriginal men against the oppressive colonial settler state. 17 Wiyi Yani U Thangani • First Nations Women’s Safety Policy Forum • Outcomes Report | 26