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Indigenous women form 1st female firefighting crew

Official: “Their culture doesn’t allow them to have a mixed gender response, but there’s lots of times when men are away on business ... which leaves them quite vulnerable.”

ABC.net.au

MIMILI, Australia — A group of women in a remote Aboriginal community in South Australia’s APY Lands have formed the state’s first Indigenous female firefighting team.

For cultural reasons, women in Mimili cannot work with the men in the Country Fire Service brigade in the town.

But with the men often absent on cultural business and other help too far away, the women decided to undertake training so they could protect the community. Tania Pompey is one of the nine women involved and said it was a privilege to be part of the first all-female team.

Full story: Mimili CFS brigade forms South Australia’s first Indigenous female firefighting team