Galupa, a remote First Nations Women’s shelter in North East Arnhem Land NT, offers safety, relief, and healing to women and children facing domestic violence or suicidal behaviour. The shelter is led by Gumatj clan elder Gayili Marika Yunupingu, an award-winning humanitarian credited for turning the suicide rate in her region from the highest rate documented in Australia – to zero.
In 2017, Gayili received the National Indigenous Human Rights Award and the Eddie Mabo Social Justice Award for Suicide Prevention. She was also on the then (Tony Abbott) Prime Minister’s advisory board for suicide prevention; in Gayili’s words, “they flew me to Canberra for meetings and photographs and then flew me back to poverty at Galupa”.
Responding to calls for help from people considering suicide, Gayili has put herself on call 24 hours a day. Similarly, she has held hundreds of women and children, in a culturally safe environment, to heal from the trauma of domestic violence and suicidal attempts and ideation.
The Women of Galupa were offered $3m from a large mining company to relocate, but declined in order to stay and maintain their cultural identity on their traditional lands. Protected by more than 15 dogs, the women and children live surrounded and hemmed in by a mining company. There are no men living at Galupa as it’s a women’s only community.
Gayili and the women of Galupa desperately need upgrades to their shelter facilities, and buildings, so they can continue working to help women and children live safely and with security, whilst reconnecting them back to their culture and country.
Now, they’re aiming to raise $100,000 for critical upgrades to the shelter to ensure they can continue supporting women and children. Galupa held an event, Galupa Healing, to launch their crowdfunding campaign. The funds will secure critical infrastructure upgrades to provide increased services for women and children seeking refuge from domestic violence and suicide, from across North East Arnhem Land, NT.
The upgrades to the shelter will see the dilapidated ablution block expanded and housing be improved to acceptable standards. Critically, additional emergency accommodation is needed to continue to provide a safe space for Yolgnu women and their children.
Why is this important?
Nationwide, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people die by suicide at a rate two times higher than non-Indigenous Australians (Yes23, 2023). An Indigenous woman is also 45 times more likely to experience domestic violence than a non Indigenous Woman (Health Victoria, 2023).
Yolgnu elder and Galupa matriarch, Gayili Marika Yunupingu, works hard responding to calls for help from people considering suicide; she has put herself on call 24 hours a day. Similarly, she has held hundreds of women and children in a culturally safe environment, to heal from the trauma of domestic violence.
“It is time to recognise all the people who are working on the ground, working really hard, volunteering our time freely without funding to help our young people and to try and heal them. We need to upgrade our facilities now so we can continue this important work,” she said.
About Galupa Community Women’s Shelter
Each night, women and their children seek safety and care at the Galupa Community Women’s Shelter. Located on traditional Yolngu Country, Galupa is a remote community about 1000 km east of Darwin, situated in the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the NT.
Galupa art – Art for Healing
Women and children at the Galupa shelter are taught by Gayili how to paint their traditional stories; this reconnects them to their culture and is an important focus for healing. It reminds them they have an important role to play in protecting their culture, their children and themselves.
To donate to Galupa Women’s Shelter, visit chuffed.org
Get local, national and world news, plus sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily newsletter. Sign up here.
