NPY Women's Council facts for kids

The Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Women's Council, often called the NPY Women's Council (or NPYWC), is a special group that helps women and their families. It was started in 1980. This council works with Aboriginal women from the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara, and Yankunytjatjara language groups.

They live in the central desert areas of Australia. This includes parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia. The main office for the NPY Women's Council is in Alice Springs. They offer many services to support communities, families, and to speak up for people's rights.

What Does the NPY Women's Council Do?

The NPY Women's Council helps women and their communities in many ways. They focus on common interests and strong family and cultural connections. Their work covers a large area of central Australia.

Where They Work

The council helps people in these specific regions:

• The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia.
• The Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia. This includes areas managed by the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku. It also covers both leased lands and lands where Aboriginal people have traditional ownership rights.
• Several communities in the Northern Territory. These include Imanpa, Mutitjulu, Kaltukatjara, and Aputula.

Supporting Communities

The NPY Women's Council works to make life better for women and children. They offer programs that help with health, safety, and cultural activities. They also speak up for the rights and needs of the people they serve. For example, they have supported the Northern Territory National Emergency Response, which was a government plan to help Aboriginal communities.

Awards and Recognition

The NPY Women's Council has received many important awards. These awards show how much their hard work is valued. They have been recognized for their strong leadership and positive impact.

Recognized Achievements

Here are some of the awards they have won:

• In 2012, they won an Indigenous Governance Award. This award was given by Reconciliation Australia and BHP Billiton. It recognized their excellent way of running their organization.
• They have also won Deadly Awards, which celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievements.
  • In 2012, their Tjanpi Desert Weavers program won for Outstanding Achievement in Cultural Advancement. This group also won the 2005 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award.
• In 2011, their Ngangkari (traditional healers) program received the International Sigmund Freud Prize from the City of Vienna. This program also won the 2009 Mark Sheldon Prize from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). In 2009, it won the Dr Margaret Tobin Award for helping people with mental health needs.
• In 2005, they received the Women in Community Policing Award. This was given at the Australasian Policewomen’s conference in Darwin.
• In 2000, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission gave an award to the NPY Women’s Council. This was for their great work in the community sector.