LDAT Spotlight: The Women of Warmun
For 28 years, the Western Australian Community Action & Advocacy Network (WACAAN) has been working alongside Local Drug Action Groups (LDAGs) across WA to support communities to tackle alcohol and other drug (AOD) harms.
In 2019, the Warmun LDAG teamed up with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) program, forging new relationships and extending the impact of their long-term partnerships.
According to Jennifer O’Mullane, CEO of WACAAN, becoming part of the LDAT program added value to everything they were doing.
“The LDAT funding has been vital for the delivery of current community-led projects,” she said.
Today the Warmun LDAG is addressing AOD challenges in their remote area by giving Gija women a deeper opportunity to connect with local services, each other, culture and Country.
The challenge
Warmun is a small remote community on Gija Country in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. It’s located along the Great Northern Highway—200km southwest of Kununurra and 847km east of Broome.
With limited access to support services—some, 200 kilometres away—the community recognised the need to create local solutions.
And, Jennifer notes that high staff turnover within these services is also a major challenge. It disrupts relationships and service consistency, making it harder for people to get support without having to tell their story time and time again.
The LDAG also understands that relationship-building is a vital part of their work, but it doesn’t happen overnight, especially in remote areas.
Jennifer explains that “community development takes time, building trust takes time.”
She’s spent 18 years in Warmun; it took her eight years to be accepted.
The response
Warmun LDAG’s fourth LDAT Community Action Plan aimed to build a stronger, more resilient and connected community to reduce feelings of social isolation and improve health and emotional wellbeing.
Through education, awareness programs, and community-led initiatives, the group is strengthening protective factors against AOD harms and creating a safer and more supportive environment.
The Warmun LDAG hosted the Two-Way Health and Healing Camp on Gija Women Lore Ground, bringing women who are connected to Gija Country together for a unique cultural and health-focused experience.
“The camp has been running over many years and was the brainchild of local Gija woman Madeline Purdie,” explains Jennifer.
“It was designed to bring Western health practitioners alongside traditional healing practices for two-way learning.”
This sharing of knowledge helps attendees better understand each other’s work, explore opportunities to collaborate, and build relationships.
Throughout the weeklong program, held last August, over a hundred women participated in discussions and activities. Topics included bush medicine, healthy eating, diabetes awareness, alcohol and pregnancy, the impact of alcohol on health, remedial massage, yoga, breast cancer awareness/checks, mental health, ageing, family violence, and access to local services.
The LDAG also supports the Women of Warmun group, which was formally established after six years of work and four Community Action Plans.
It’s now working towards generating an income by setting up micro-enterprises selling bush medicine and delivering workshops on traditional Gija healing to other communities and service providers.
In 2024, the Women of Warmun successfully ran workshops at the community women’s centre, along with two on-Country days to foster intergenerational learning between women and younger girls.
They also hosted monthly Thursday night yarning sessions connecting women with service providers to increase awareness of available supports.
The progress
The Women of Warmun have now cemented their position in community and are a key resource for locals.
In 2024, over 142 women and girls participated in their yarning sessions and the Two-Way Health and Healing Camp – far over the target of 80.
The Warmun LDAG reported a positive shift in the Warmun community, with women becoming more engaged and supportive of one another.
To assess the impact of their activities, the LDAG uses culturally appropriate evaluation methods, such as informal yarning sessions and stories of change, rather than traditional surveys.
Evaluation results showed increased interpersonal connections and help-seeking behaviours. Women demonstrated knowledge retention by recalling key information and knowing where to seek further support.
The data revealed that self-efficacy in help-seeking improved after attending yarning circles, with 88% of participants reporting greater knowledge of traditional healing, cultural connection, and alcohol harm prevention.
And, 82% of women and 74% of young people gained a better understanding of available services and where to seek help. Service providers also noted an increase in direct requests from women they engaged with.
By fostering strong partnerships and working together, the Warmun LDAG continues to build resilience and reduce the impact of AOD-related harms. Their dedication is a testament to the power of local action in driving meaningful change.
Advice to other LDATs
For Local Drug Action Teams (LDATs) looking to make a lasting impact, Jennifer emphasises the importance of flexibility and community-driven initiatives.
“It can be trial and error. Everybody has a thousand ideas, but the community needs to test what works,” Jennifer explains.
“For example, the women wanted to learn how to make soap to address the issue of skin infections. The older women disliked soap-making workshops, but the young girls love it.”
Jennifer stresses that success comes from letting the community take the lead, with partner organisations and services providing the wraparound support needed to bring their ideas to life.
“We must come in with no pre-conceived ideas of what we want to achieve. The community knows what they need, we need to support that,” she says.
She also highlights the valuable support available through the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF).
“The support we get from the ADF staff in WA is phenomenal. They’re always reachable and understand the nuances and challenges of working in regional and remote areas.”
LDAT partner organisations: Women of Warmun, Warmun Local Drug Action Group, Ngalangangpum School, Warmun Community Inc, WA Country Health, Kimberley Community Alcohol and Drug Service, Milliya Rumurra Aboriginal Corporation, Alcohol and Drug Foundation, WA Community Action & Advocacy Network.