This research project identifies priorities for reducing and preventing violence against, and improving services for, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the Victorian and New South Wales towns of Mildura and Albury–Wodonga. It examines the capabilities of frontline family violence services, both Aboriginal-controlled and non-Indigenous, with regard to improving the safety of women and children experiencing violence. The cross-border context of these locations enabled investigation of cross-jurisdictional issues.

Using a participatory methodology that included semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation, this project documents service practice, providing insights into how the services at each location were experienced by those using them, and by the people working within them. Rather than a formal evaluation of the services, this project analyses the data to map the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who disclose violence in the legal and social family violence service environments available to them.

The research findings relating to the intersection of family violence, gender, racial issues, cultural background, and the family violence legal and support service system are addressed through key themes with the aim of:

• supporting Aboriginal women experiencing family violence to improve experiences and engagement with health services
• identifying gaps in service provision, policy and legislation
• increasing the likelihood of their willingness to report family violence, either to the police, health services, or legal services

Recommendations based on the findings are listed in the conclusion of the report.