Empowerment and human rights in addressing violence and improving health in Australian Indigenous communities

Life expectancy for Indigenous Australians is approximately 20 years less than that of other Australians, and endemic family violence is a causal factor. This article discusses evaluation data gathered from an Indigenous empowerment program aimed at increasing personal empowerment in order to improve individual and social wellbeing. Our analysis of the data demonstrates the success of the program in building personal strength, increasing ability to assist others, and increasing motivation to challenge structural factors impacting on health equality. We consider the operational implications of a human rights framework and argue that empowerment programs and human rights discourse, focusing on exploration of self and an analysis of colonization, discrimination, and human rights, could empower individuals and communities with an innovative approach to challenging health inequality