This week's AIATSIS Summit has heard despite increasing numbers of Aboriginal women completing degrees, scholarships and professional development programs, many are still being shut out of the rooms where economic decisions are made.

At the Summit Madii Page and Elaine Jolliffe from First Nations Economics presented the Nyami Balmuun (Strong Women) framework, a model designed to create pathways from education to economic influence for Aboriginal women.

Their message was clear. Education alone is not enough.

The inspiration for Nyami Balmuun came from a question that continued to surface across First Nations Economics' programs: why were so many talented Aboriginal women still struggling to break into positions of influence?

"Through our work, we kept seeing the same pattern emerge. Women were succeeding in education, scholarships and professional development opportunities, but many were still encountering barriers as they moved into leadership, governance and decision-making spaces," Ms Jolliffe said.

"The challenge isn't a lack of talent or ambition. It was the absence of connected pathways."

The discussion comes at a critical time as governments, businesses and Indigenous organisations increasingly focus on economic empowerment and Closing the Gap targets.

Yet the presenters argued that participation alone should not be the goal.

For Aboriginal women, true economic empowerment means having influence over the systems that shape communities, investment priorities and future opportunities.

"Employment is important, but economic influence is about much more than workforce participation. It is about who is shaping investment priorities, governance decisions, policy settings and economic opportunities," Ms Jolliffe said.

The Nyami Balmuun framework positions education as economic infrastructure rather than simply a pathway to qualifications.

"Rather than viewing it as an outcome in itself, we began to see it as infrastructure that supports confidence, capability, participation and ultimately influence," Ms Jolliffe said.

"For Aboriginal women, education is often the foundation that enables them to navigate systems, access opportunities and shape decisions that affect their communities and future generations."

Rather than treating education, employment, enterprise and leadership as separate issues, the framework recognises them as interconnected parts of a broader journey.

"Connected pathways require more than individual programs. They require strong relationships between education providers, employers, community organisations, mentors, industry and governance opportunities," Ms Jolliffe said.

Nyami Balmuun seeks to address this challenge by creating a connected ecosystem that links education, mentoring, enterprise development, governance opportunities and leadership pathways.

The framework also recognises that when Aboriginal women succeed, the benefits extend far beyond the individual. Across communities, Aboriginal women play critical roles in family wellbeing, cultural continuity, leadership and economic participation.

"Representation creates possibility," Ms Jolliffe said. "When Aboriginal women see others leading organisations, serving on boards, influencing policy or building successful enterprises, those pathways become visible and achievable."

The framework has evolved through initiatives including the Leah Armstrong Scholarship Program, the Knowledge Mentoring Program, the Women's Business Pre Accelerator Program and the Financial Foundations for Business Program delivered in partnership with Indigenous Business Australia.

There was strong interest from delegates in the model and its focus on intergenerational economic security. The conversation challenged organisations to think beyond short term programs and funding cycles and instead invest in long term pathways to leadership and influence.

"The greatest opportunity is not creating another standalone program," Jolliffe said.

"It is creating ecosystems that support Aboriginal women to move from learning, to leadership, to influence, and ultimately to creating opportunities for the generations that follow."

The challenge now sits with governments, businesses, universities and community organisations. If Australia is serious about economic self-determination, investment must extend beyond participation and into influence.

That is the real promise of Nyami Balmuun, which is creating pathways that do not end with participation, but lead to leadership, influence and lasting change for generations to come.

Elaine Jolliffe and Madii Page present Nyami Balmuun, strengthening pathways to economic influence for Aboriginal women (Image: supplied)