Indigenous identity Lowitja O'Donoghue has appealed to the international community to keep up the pressure on human rights issues affecting Australia's Indigenous population.

The former ATSIC leader has told an Adelaide seminar on respect for women, that domestic violence and sexual abuse are still rife in many Aboriginal communities.

She says governments have failed to commit proper resources to tackle them.

"Governments don't like being shamed by Aboriginal people speaking about the issues here," she said.

"Because we can't get the attention of the Australian Government I am appealing to the international community also to understand that Australia is not the country they think it is."