When 30 First Nations women gathered in northern Queensland in 2025 for a 12-day fire training program, something remarkable happened that had nothing to do with flames. They found each other.
The AUSWTREX program—Australia's first Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchange—hosted by Queensland Fire Department and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, was designed to strengthen fire practitioner skills. But the evaluation, released in a groundbreaking report from Monash University's National Indigenous Disaster Resilience program and Natural Hazards Research Australia, found the real magic lay in what the women built together: confidence, leadership, healing, and lifelong professional networks.
"For many, it was their first opportunity to participate in a cultural burn or use their skills to protect cultural heritage," said Chloe Swiney, manager of bushfire mitigation for Rural Fire Service Queensland and one of the program's key organizers. "The impact went beyond networking and skills development. These women found companionship within a workforce that can be challenging and isolating for First Nations women. They returned to their communities changed and empowered."
That isolation is real. As Zoe Schultz, NIDR Research Fellow and lead author of the report, explained: First Nations women are often the only woman or the only First Nations person in their workplaces. While gender equity has improved in the fire and land management sector, targeted professional support for First Nations women already on the front line remains virtually nonexistent.
"First Nations women are driving incredible initiatives to protect community and Country, but they are often doing it without adequate support," Schultz said. "As Australia faces more frequent and severe fires and floods, we cannot afford to ignore such a highly capable and valuable part of this workforce."
The report evaluated the program using interviews, participant journals, and observation, focusing specifically on how First Nations women-led spaces and cultural knowledge exchanges affect well-being and memory. The findings were clear: culturally supportive, women-led programs aren't just a win for gender equity—they directly strengthen Australia's front-line capacity to face climate disasters.
Swiney described how the program bridged western hazard reduction and cultural burning, allowing participants to protect cultural heritage while fostering deep personal healing. The program also equipped these women to return to their communities with skills and connections they didn't have before.
But the work isn't finished. "The real challenge now is ensuring their workplaces actually recognize and value their expertise when they return," Swiney said. The report offers a practical framework for the wider emergency management sector—a pathway to building a more inclusive and resilient front-line workforce. With climate disasters growing more frequent and severe, that pathway may be one of Australia's most valuable assets.