Australian universities are deeply committed to actively addressing gender-based violence on campus and working in collaboration with others to combat this societal scourge. A comprehensive approach to addressing gender-based violence needs to incorporate primary prevention, which requires ongoing commitment from institutions, government and society. We believe that universities have a strong role to play in addressing this societal issue, both as custodians of campuses where people study, work, and in some cases reside, and as institutions expected by the community to lead by example and uphold high standards. Universities take this critical challenge seriously and have implemented a range of practices specifically to address it, both on campuses and in online settings, and continue to update, improve and develop initiatives to prevent violence in any form. At a sector level, all UA members are signatories of the Charter Against Sexual Harm and have made progress in reducing the instances of gender-based violence on campus.

We agree with the Action Plan that additional measures are necessary, especially considering the varied approaches taken across the higher education sector. Universities are making significant efforts to tackle gender-based violence and were pleased to note that the Action Plan has adopted a whole-of-society approach. This approach makes clear that addressing and taking action against gender-based violence cannot be accomplished by universities alone and will require a coordinated effort across society.

To that end, we have asked other members of the community – government, business, schools, and TAFE – to join us in signing on to the Charter Against Sexual Harm. Universities educate a large number of young people and other vulnerable cohorts; however, students undertaking vocational education will not directly benefit from this Action Plan as it is currently scoped. This may present a missed opportunity. Schools have also not been included in the scope of the Action Plan. Instilling an understanding of ethical principles and moral values begins during a child’s formative years, so students often arrive at university with conditioned behaviours and attitudes that can present challenges when trying to modify or change them. We believe expanding this plan to include these additional cohorts will send a strong signal that gender-based violence will not be tolerated in any educational setting. The coordination of consistent actions across the community, particularly with schools and vocational education, will support universities in implementing this Action Plan, so we welcome government efforts to embed a culture of respect and inclusivity across all parts of society.

UA welcomes evidence-based solutions to combatting gender-based violence and agrees that universities have an important role to play in addressing gender-based violence and sexual harm in our communities. Gender-based violence is a complex issue and universities remain committed to using their expertise to assist in identifying the most effective and up-to-date approaches using current and emerging research. This expertise extends to collecting and assessing appropriate data, including reasonable and appropriate data capture points that reflect human experiences. Given the repository of academic experts and specialist staff working in the field of sexual harm and gender-based violence across the sector who are familiar with the nuances of local issues relevant to individual institutions, UA encourages the government to recognise the expertise within the sector to lead efforts in prevention and response.

We commend the principles of the draft Action Plan, which are largely consistent with the guidance UA has provided to the sector in the 2023 Sexual Harm Response Guidelines and the Primary Prevention of Sexual Harm in the University Sector – Good Practice Guide. Principles 3, 4, 5, and 6 are embedded in both documents and the recent Charter Against Sexual Harm is consistent with Principle 1. We look forward to further engagements with government as these principles are discussed across the sector and society in coming months.