Research Collaboration: Supporting the economic participation of First Nations women

First Nations Economics is proud to have collaborated with the University of Sydney’s Sydney Policy Reform Project on a new research paper examining the policies needed to support the economic participation of First Nations women in entrepreneurship and leadership roles.

The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of existing Australian policy frameworks, alongside comparative international case studies from Canada and Brazil. It identifies persistent structural and intersectional barriers facing First Nations women, including access to capital, policy blind spots, geographic isolation, caregiving responsibilities, and underrepresentation in leadership and decision-making roles.

Importantly, the research moves beyond program descriptions to assess how current policy settings interact, where gaps remain, and what design changes are required to enable more durable, culturally grounded economic participation. The paper proposes practical, evidence-informed recommendations, including the adoption of an intersectional policy lens for First Nations women and the application of a Critical Ecological Model to better reflect the lived realities shaping women’s entrepreneurship and leadership pathways.

This research will inform FNE’s ongoing policy advocacy and program development, including our work to strengthen leadership pathways, enterprise support, and long-term economic agency for First Nations women across urban, regional, and remote contexts.

Read the Research Paper here

Gurminder Saro

Interim Chair

Associate Professor Rick Macourt is a proud, queer Gumbaynggirr man, lawyer, and economic specialist. He leads First Nations Economics as Managing Director of Strategy and Foundation and serves as Associate Dean of First Nations Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney.

With over 15 years of experience spanning government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors, Rick is deeply committed to advancing the economic development of First Peoples. As the former Director of First Nations Expenditure and Outcomes at NSW Treasury, he spearheaded the state’s inaugural Indigenous expenditure reporting processes and established the groundbreaking First Nations budget process in 2021/22. Previously, Rick held an executive role at the Westpac Group, overseeing First Nations affairs, and has a rich history in government, monitoring, evaluation, and negotiation, with senior positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, City of Sydney, and Standards Australia.

Rick is a published author with Oxford University Press, a member of the First Nations Advisory Board of Siemens Australia, and a Non-Executive Director on the board of Barnardos Australia.