Research shows that Aboriginal mothers in Western Australia are 17.5 times more likely to die from homicide than a non-Aboriginal mother.
Aboriginal mothers are also at increased risk of suicide related to factors including intimate partner violence and sexual abuse.
But a major issue faced by Aboriginal women is the lack of responsiveness by the Australian justice system.
Australia has made a commitment to combatting violence against women through a National Plan of Action. However, there is little mention of Indigenous women and the difficulties faced in accessing justice.
With thanks to Hannah McGlade here are a few stories that have caused considerable concern of bias in the administration of justice
Andrea PickettAndrea Pickett was 39 years old when she was murdered by her ex-partner Kenneth in 2009.
Recently released from prison for acts of violence against her, Kenneth murdered Andrea as she tried to flee with her infant. Andrea feared for her safety and that of her 13 children and
she had done her utmost to seek protection from the justice system.
After an uphill battle to even have her death investigated by the Coroner he noted that she had made many complaints to the police that were simply written off without investigation. The few responses that occurred were minimal and ineffective. She also sought help from the parole board and support agencies who failed to provide protection.
The police advised the Coroner they had conducted their own investigation into her death and found numerous failures on part of investigating officers.
They said that they now implemented a system wide policy change to address victim safety. The coroner accepted this submission and made no recommendations aimed at police.
While important systemic reforms were introduced as a result of the inquest, Indigenous women's experience of discrimination in accessing justice was not identified or addressed.
Ms DhuMs Dhu showed similar patterns of negative police conduct in relation to Indigenous women's victimisation.
Ms Dhu was arrested by police and taken into police custody on August 2, 2014.
She was a victim of domestic violence and in urgent need of medical help.
The police were not interested in and did not investigate her evidence of an assault. They also - fatally - did not believe her when she told them she was injured and in need of help.
Ms Dhu was pronounced dead on August 4, 2014 - two days after being taken into custody. The cause of her death in police custody was medical conditions arising from injuries previously inflicted on her as a victim of domestic violence.
Thee CCTV footage is disturbing, she is crying and moaning in pain, calling out for help from police officers who ignored her cries. Dying, she was cuffed and dragged through the lockup.
While the officers took Ms Dhu to hospital, they told medical staff that Ms Dhu was "faking it". The medical staff did not undertake basic procedures, such as a temperature or X-rays, and she did not receive treatment that could have saved her.
The police involved in Ms Dhu's shocking death were disciplined by way of reprimand, but none were dismissed and most have now been promoted.
In the the Coroner's court little attention was paid to Ms Dhu as an Aboriginal victim of domestic violence. There was no acknowledgement of Aboriginal partner violence, the interplay of race and gender and the inhumane treatment she received.
Lynette DaleyLynette Daley, mother of seven, died in 2011 following violent sexual acts on her by non-Aboriginal men.
While the investigating police officers and the state Coroner recommended that charges be laid against those men, the Crown prosecutors did not accept their recommendation and declined to lay any charges at all.
This year, almost five years after Lynette's death, the Crown reversed its decision in the face of considerable media and public pressure.
The law has also failed Aboriginal children. Most notably Jack Sultan
Jack SultanIn 2014 Jack Sultan was an 8 year old boy riding his bike when a driver, Michael Alexander, Struck him with his car then fled the scene. the boy died of his injuries.
Michael Alexander was high on meth at the time of the incident and on bail for drug related charges.
His sentence? Six months home detention and an 18-month suspended jail sentence.
The fact that a man walks away with such a light sentence over the death of an Aboriginal child, and Australia stays largely silent about it, says a lot about the different laws in this country – one for black, and one for white.
If this was a white kid in a different city, you can bet it would be on the front pages of newspapers around the country.
Instead an imaginary spear outraged Australia. A slap on the wrist for a hit and run death of an Aboriginal child did not.