Stories

Latest news from Yanalangami

News

Our 2025 Yanalangami Changemaker Cohort

In 2025, we were proud to run concurrent cohorts of our Yanalangami: Strong Women, Strong Communities program, with both the Emerging and Community Changemaker streams running side by side. Together, these programs supported 32 incredible First Nations women on their leadership journeys.

Across the 6-10 weeks, our online sessions became powerful spaces of connection, vulnerability, and strength. Women came together to share their stories, uplift one another, and lean into the courage it takes to lead with authenticity and culture at the heart. Each session highlighted the resilience and wisdom of our Changemakers, while also providing practical tools to support both personal healing and professional growth. The impact of the program has been deeply felt by our Changemakers.

As we reflect on the journey of 2025, we are filled with pride for the growth, leadership, and community building that has emerged from this year’s cohorts. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our 2025 Community Changemaker Cohort, celebrating the ways these strong women are creating positive change and shaping stronger futures for generations to come!

 

With deep respect,

The Yanalangami Team

“The Yanalangami program has made me see just how strong Aboriginal women are—resilient, determined, and united. I believe in creating spaces where my people feel safe, seen, and empowered. Where our culture isn’t just acknowledged, but celebrated. Because when we uplift one another, we shape a future that honours the past and transforms the present.”
— Ashleigh Lackay
— Ashleigh Lackay2025 Emerging Changemaker and a proud Ngemba, Kunjya, Barkinji Woman
“The Changemakers program has been a turning point for my growth. It’s given me room to stretch as a leader and discover strengths I didn’t even know I had. There is a unique energy that happens when women come together to support and lift each other up—it’s powerful, and honestly, it’s changed the way I see myself. I am forever grateful to have been a part of Yanalangami and to have connected with such inspiring, strong and deadly women.”
— Allana Das Neves
— Allana Das Neves2025 Emerging Changemaker and a proud Wonnarua Woman
“Yanalangami has helped me regain my strength in my voice and honesty in my story. It’s reminded me that leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers, it means showing up, being real, and staying grounded in who you are.”
— Natalie Bianca Bauer
— Natalie Bianca Bauer2025 Community Changemaker and a proud Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Woman
"Healing is not just personal—it’s cultural, it’s communal, it’s generational. As Aboriginal women, our strength is in our stories, our Country, and each other. Yanalangami is a space where we’re reclaiming all of that, and more. It’s where we rise together, proud of who we are and where we come from."
— Emma Hickey
— Emma Hickey2025 Community Changemaker and a proud Butchulla and Woppaburra Saltwater Woman
"Strengthening our leadership requires us to challenge ourselves, self-educate, and lift others through coaching and advocacy. Participating in the Yanalangami Leadership program connects us with other community leaders, draws us to focus on being gentle on ourselves, so we can continue to create change in our communities and build on foundations that facilitate the empowerment of future leaders."
— Rina Abbott-Jard
— Rina Abbott-Jard2025 Community Changemaker and a proud Kamillaroi / Gamilaraay woman
"The program has allowed space to reflect on my healing, and the absence of it, as well as see more clearly the big decisions I had to make for my own family to learn to heal. We can't undo what we have been through and the trauma we now carry. But we can heal by healing our children before they have children and focus on reconnecting with our matriarchal strengths as women, as mothers, as aunties and sisters."
— Shantelle Common
— Shantelle Common2025 Community Changemaker and a proud Boorooberongal Darug and English woman

Follow Us

Be the first to know when applications for 2023 open – follow us on Instagram and Facebook or join our mailing list.

Facebook-f Instagram

Get the latest news by subscribing to our newsletter

Scroll to Top