Our Watch welcomes new South Australian ambassador, KWY Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Craig Rigney
Kornar Winmil Yunti Aboriginal Corporation (KWY) CEO, and proud Ngarrindjeri Man Craig Rigney has today been announced as an Our Watch ambassador.
Our Watch CEO, Patty Kinnersly, said that Mr Rigney would be an invaluable asset to Our Watch's work in preventing violence against women and their children.
"Having dedicated his working life to the empowerment and safety of Aboriginal children, young people, families, and communities through his leadership at KWY, we are lucky to have Craig join as an Our Watch ambassador," Ms Kinnersly said.
"Craig will further broaden our ability to engage the community with the actions needed to prevent violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, which we know from the research is disproportionate and more severe.
"He is also keen to use the Our Watch platform to talk about the role that men play in challenging disrespect towards women."
Mr Rigney said that he wanted to become an ambassador because of the synergy between the work of Our Watch and KWY.
"As a proud Aboriginal man working to eliminate all forms of violence against women and children, I have seen firsthand the power of self-determination, culturally appropriate services and engaging both men and women in the solutions," Mr Rigney said.
"We know that prevention strategies seeking to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be developed, owned and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families, which is why KWY has been so successful in South Australia.
"Through our range of holistic, culturally safe services, we highlight how our culture is able to not only protect our children, women and families, but also heal them and create a real sense of strength and well-being in our communities.
Mr Rigney said that violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women was not just an 'Aboriginal problem', but an Australian problem that required action from all parts of society.
"In order to prevent violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, we must address gender inequality, as well as the ongoing impacts of colonisation and racism. That is why I am so excited to further this work through becoming an Our Watch ambassador."
Craig Rigney joins existing Our Watch Ambassadors. He is based in Adelaide.
