On October 14th, 2023, Australia voted “No” in a historic referendum that asked for meaningful, not just symbolic, constitutional recognition of Australia’s First Peoples by enshrining a Voice to Parliament. This would ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Peoples of Australia who have experienced the irrevocable effects of colonisation, would be able to make representations to Parliament on matters relating to them.

����TV supported the��Uluru Statement from the Heart��and��supported the “Yes” vote��in the referendum on a Voice to Parliament, along with the majority of medical colleges and health organisations. RANZCOG is cognisant of the health inequities that exist for First Nations people, and that evidence tells us that empowering First Nations people to be part of the process to drive improvement is more impactful, effective, and efficient. In the immediate aftermath of the unsuccessful referendum, the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who supported the Yes campaign were dismayed and disillusioned.

The Chair of the RANZCOG First Nations Women’s Health Committee, Worimi woman��Dr Marilyn Clarke��states: “There has been a period of grief and mourning for the loss of ‘what could have been’. I have been heartened by messages of support from the membership base, both before and since the referendum. Bearing witness to the experiences last year has only strengthened the resolve of many of my colleagues to continue to advocate to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and babies.”

Since the referendum, there has been time for reflection and contemplation. On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and RANZCOG’s recent launch of its��Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), RANZCOG reaffirms its commitment to proactively examining and dismantling the barriers and structures that exist and acting to address the impacts of colonisation and systemic racism and to enable inclusivity, and positive change for First Nations peoples.

����TV supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart to achieve justice, recognition, and respect for First Nations people. With the unequivocal ‘NO’ vote to the ‘Voice to Parliament’ on Saturday the 14th of October 2023, RANZCOG renewed our commitment to the Uluru statement from the Heart, to walk together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

We, gathered at the 2017 National Constitutional Convention, coming from all points of the southern sky, make this statement from the heart:

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes were the first sovereign Nations of the Australian continent and its adjacent islands, and possessed it under our own laws and customs. This our ancestors did, according to the reckoning of our culture, from the Creation, according to the common law from ‘time immemorial’, and according to science more than 60,000 years ago.

This sovereignty is spiritual notion: the ancestral tie between the land, or ‘mother nature’, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who were born therefrom, remain attached thereto, and must one day return thither to be united with our ancestors. This link is the basis of the ownership of the soil, or better, of sovereignty. It has never been ceded or extinguished, and co-exists with the sovereignty of the Crown.

How could it be otherwise? That peoples possessed a land for sixty millennia and this sacred link disappears from world history in merely the last two hundred years?

With substantive constitutional change and structural reform, we believe this ancient sovereignty can shine through as a fuller expression of Australia’s nationhood.

Proportionally, we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately criminal people. Our children are aliened from their families at unprecedented rates. This cannot be because we have no love for them. And our youth languish in detention in obscene numbers. They should be our hope for the future.

These dimensions of our crisis tell plainly the structural nature of our problem. This is the torment of our powerlessness.

We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.

We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.

Makarrata is the culmination of our agenda: the coming together after a struggle. It captures our aspirations for a fair and truthful relationship with the people of Australia and a better future for our children based on justice and self-determination.

We seek a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history.

In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

As a bi-national College, and in the wake of coalition agreements in Aotearoa New Zealand, RANZCOG also��reaffirmed its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi��and equity of health outcomes for Māori, recognising that racial discrimination continues to impact the First People of both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

����TV acknowledges that Māori currently experience a range of poorer health outcomes and face obstacles to care including systemic barriers and structural racism. Equity of health outcomes for wāhine and whānau Māori requires significant focus, new approaches, and the work of the whole health system and all who work in it.

����TV, as the organisation responsible for training and ongoing professional development of obstetricians and gynaecologists in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand, is committed to developing the workforce to reflect the populations it serves, and to including cultural safety in our training curriculum and programmes.

����TV will continue to focus on health equity through implementation of our Te Rautaki Māori me te Ara Whakamua – our Māori Strategy and Action Plan, and with our own journey to foster the use of te Reo Māori and enacting partnership in our committees and ways of working.

����TV is committed to continuing our journey to improving health equity and we call upon the Government to ensure that our health system enacts the commitments of te Tiriti o Waitangi and focuses on equity of outcomes in Aotearoa.

Dr Marilyn Clarke (Worimi) FRANZCOG
Chair, RANZCOG Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health committee

On Saturday October 14, Australia is being given the opportunity to have a crucial say in a historic referendum on an Indigenous Voice to parliament. As the date draws closer, the arguments for the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camps are saturating our airwaves and internet, creating confusion for those who are undecided and unsure. Most members of our College are compassionate and caring people who want to “do the right thing”, but aren’t sure what that is. Some have already firmly made up their minds, but may have done so based on misinformation.

����TV acknowledges that we have a diverse membership base and respects the autonomy of individuals to make their own personal decision on this issue. However, as an organisation, we have the moral imperative to support the case, which aligns with our own organisational values of equity, advocacy, kindness and respect (Our Values – RANZCOG). As medical practitioners, we should be aware of the health disparities that exist between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians. Evidence tells us that when First Nations people are involved and have a say in health program design and delivery, outcomes are much more effective. Having an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has the potential to have an enormous impact on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people navigate the future and place in the nation.

If you are unsure, have some questions, or would like more information, I invite you watch a video between myself and esteemed journalist Kerry O’Brien, as we discuss answers to frequently asked questions we often field from the Australian public. I hope that this may help to clarify any doubts, dispel any myths and allay any concerns you may have. Australians have a serious democratic responsibility to vote on an issue which will have a powerful effect on First Nations people for generations, and the onus is on all Australians to ensure they are armed with accurate information when casting their ballot.

����TV considers the vote on the Voice critical to the ongoing health and wellbeing of First Nations Peoples.

This year, Australians will have their say in a referendum to recognise First Nation Peoples in the Constitution by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. This Voice to Parliament for matters that affect First Nation Peoples, is one of the three core tenets of the��, along with Treaty and Truth.

With the unanimous agreement of Indigenous members and trainees of the College, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG; the College) supports the proposed principles and objectives of the Uluru Statement which share common ground with our commitment to eliminating racism and challenges for First Nation Peoples accessing healthcare.

As a member-based organisation, RANZCOG values and respects the diversity of our members and understands there will be differing opinions on the referendum. We urge members to be well-informed with access to a trusted source of information, before making their decision.

����TV considers the vote on the Voice critical to the ongoing health and wellbeing of First Nations Peoples and we support the Voice to Parliament.

• Read more about the .
• Find more information about the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme’s commitment to eliminating racism from healthcare and prioritising cultural safety in the ,��, and recent��.
• Read more about the .

The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) and RANZCOG have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalising their joint commitment to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s health and its workforce.

AIDA is a not-for-profit professional association representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students and doctors in Australia. RANZCOG is the leading standards body responsible for the training and education of specialists and GP obstetricians in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand.

The MoU will see both organisations work in partnership to share academic, research, education and faculty development and capacity building opportunities.

AIDA President Dr Simone Raye welcomed the partnership: “This marks a significant step forward as our organisations partner with a united aim of improving healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Dr Raye said.

“Our shared knowledge will help to improve the healthcare landscape for patients and clinical professionals, and it is an honour to be part of this milestone.”

����TV President Dr Benjamin Bopp said: “RANZCOG is committed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and teaching culturally appropriate obstetric and gynaecological care.”

Jony Berry, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisor, speaks to Dr Marilyn Clarke.

Yah Nunoye you Mob, my name is Jony Berry and I am so excited to announce this little segment.

What is a yarn up?

Yarn is a traditional word that Indigenous Australians use meaning to speak, talk and converse. The ‘up’ signifying that it will be a discussion.

I whole-heartedly love to yarn, especially to people making great change in our Nation, so it goes without saying that I am ecstatic for the opportunity to yarn up with someone who not only was the first Aboriginal obstetrician, but this incredible woman is also at the forefront of equality and inclusion within RANZCOG by chairing and leading in many committees. With great pride I would like to introduce you to Aunty Marilyn Clarke.

Jony: Firstly, thank you Aunty Marilyn for taking the time to answer these questions and for everything you are doing to not only be a role model but to also aid in breaking down the barriers and systematic obstacles that affect First Nations Australians in this field. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Who is your mob and where are you from?

Marilyn: I was brought up by my amazing mother, who was a trailblazer in her own right, being a single mum and pursuing a career in nursing then women’s health. I have a twin sister who is a GP, and my younger brother is Kelvin Kong, who is an ENT surgeon and a gifted leader. All three of us have a passionate drive instilled in us from our mum and extended family to give back to our community and we all contribute in our own way.

J: How did you find yourself in this field? What drove you to do what you do?

M: First and foremost my mum. She was one of the first independent women’s health practitioners in NSW and definitely planted a seed for women’s health in me. She always treated women wholistically and I would be so inspired by her work. Then in medical school, I was inspired by Sr Alison Bush, a legendary Aboriginal midwife at King George V hospital in Sydney. She taught me so much about obstetrics. Lastly, I spent a year working in PNG during my JMO years.

J:��What barriers or obstacles did you find/ overcome in order to be where you are today?��

M:��There were many: racism, financial barriers, cultural load, to name but a few. But through it all I had the support of family and that made all the difference.

J:��What is the best part of what you do?��

M:��I love working with women and empowering them to make the right decisions for their care. Their health is a journey for them to take, I am there to guide them with knowledge, and support them when they need it, through the good times, such as a beautiful vaginal birth with a healthy bub, as well as the bad, such as a stillbirth or a cancer diagnosis. It is such a privilege for me to be able to be there for them.

J:��Do you have any advice for other First Nations Australians who are considering a career in obstetrics and gynaecology?��

M:��Reach out to others for support. It is now so competitive to get on the training program, and we often face additional barriers. We need to support each other as much as possible, and I hope to achieve that better through support structures with RANZCOG.

J:��How can the medical field (colleges, hospitals, universities) better support Indigenous Australians wanting to undertake a career in medicine?��

M: Schools need to be able to support kids as much as possible if they have the ability and the ambition. Some medical schools/universities are better than others in supporting and retaining Indigenous medical students- we need to emulate what works best. I think the JMO space and training pathways for Indigenous doctors has lots of room for improvement.

J: Thank you so much Aunty Marilyn for taking the time to answer these questions and for everything you do in this field and for First Nations Australians.