New Business Toolkit for Indigenous Women

The Australian Government today released a new Business Toolkit for Indigenous Women, aimed at providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across Australia with information and advice on being successful in business.

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin said the toolkit contained a number of fact sheets, covering business planning and exporting, and also a range of useful local resources.

‘There are some inspirational Indigenous business women doing fantastic work, and we want to see this grow,’ Ms Macklin said.  

‘The toolkit is informative and easy to use for women wanting to get involved in business and provides further support for those with businesses already up and running.’

The Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, said the toolkit also contained the stories of six successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have made it in business.

‘The toolkit provides useful tips for Indigenous women on how to get started in business, including how to balance family and community obligations, manage the many demands of business life, and when and where to get help,’ Ms Plibersek said.

The toolkit was funded through the Commonwealth, State, Territory and New Zealand Ministers’ Conference on the Status of Women, following a recommendation from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Gathering.

The Minister for Employment Participation Mark Arbib said this was one of a number of initiatives the Rudd Government was funding to foster Indigenous people to participate in business, including providing financial support for state and regional Indigenous chambers of commerce, the establishment of a new business advisory group and the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council pilot.

‘Encouraging Indigenous enterprise is an important way to improve employment participation of Indigenous people and to close the gap on social disadvantage,’ Senator Arbib said.

‘I would encourage Indigenous business women and those looking to get into business to use the toolkit.’

The toolkit is available at FaHCSIA website : New Business Toolkit for Indigenous Women