First Australians Capital (FAC) is proud to be hosting a side event at Women Deliver 2026 in Naarm (Melbourne), bringing together powerful voices from across the Oceanic Pacific for a timely and necessary conversation on Indigenous women’s economic leadership. We will be co-hosting with RDI Network and ACFID.
First Nations women across the region are already leading economic change. They are building businesses, designing models grounded in culture and community, and redefining what prosperity looks like for future generations. The question is no longer whether Indigenous women can lead economically — they already do. The real question is whether systems, policies, and investment approaches are ready to genuinely support and elevate that leadership.
Our session, On Our Terms: Indigenous Women Defining Economic Power and Self-Determination, creates space for that conversation — led by those who live it.
We are thrilled to introduce the speakers joining us:
🔹 Moderated by Renee Cremer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Community First Development
🔹 Sisi Coalala, (Acting) Manager Inclusive Development at the Pacific Disability Forum
🔹 Elaine Jolliffe, Manager, Partnerships & Public Relations at First Nations Economics
🔹 Jessica Walters, Indigenous Research Project Manager at Monash University
🔹 Alice Tamang, Managing Director at Connecting Cultures International
Together, these leaders represent some of the most dynamic and intersectional thinking on Indigenous economic self-determination across our region — spanning disability inclusion, climate and just transitions, locally led development, and First Nations economic leadership.
As hosts, FAC is bringing together entrepreneurs, young leaders, development practitioners, researchers, and government representatives to explore what economic empowerment looks like when Indigenous women define it on their own terms. This session will surface both the enablers and barriers to participation across generations, while identifying practical, culturally grounded pathways forward.
Attendees can expect a rich and honest dialogue — one that challenges assumptions and centres Indigenous women’s voices, knowledge systems, and lived experience.
Come ready to listen, learn, and leave with a deeper understanding of what Indigenous women’s economic leadership looks like when it is properly resourced, respected, and supported.
Click here for further insight about the event.
We look forward to seeing you there.
