Beyond Exclusion: Aboriginal Women, Colonisation and the Shifting Waves of Feminism in Australia

The history of feminism in Australia reveals a complex web of progress and exclusion, particularly in its relationship to Aboriginal women. Whilst feminist movements have benefitted and advanced rights for many women, their agendas have often centred white, middle-class experiences, arguably at times purposefully marginalising Aboriginal, Indigenous and Black voices and struggles both nationally and globally who still face gendered oppression and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. This paper examines how waves of feminism have intersected with, overlooked, or occasionally amplified Aboriginal women’s demands for justice, self-determination, and recognition. By tracing key moments of convergence and divergence, it highlights the resilience and leadership of Aboriginal women in forging their own feminist and activist traditions that challenge both patriarchy and colonialism. Understanding this dynamic underscores the necessity of feminism to either create movements that are truly inclusive and responsive to the lived realities of Aboriginal women or for Aboriginal women to critically engage with it on their own terms.