The Federal Government wants to create a mandatory code of conduct for universities’ responses to gender-based violence.
Underto Parliament yesterday, universities could be fined for failing to comply with the proposed code.
A 2021 report found half of Australian uni students knew “nothing or very little” about how to report harassment or assault to their institution.
Safety Survey
The 2021 National Student Safety Survey found 5% of the then-43,000 uni students had been sexually assaulted since enrolment.
The majority of incidents occurred on campus or in university-related spaces.
Almost half of the students who reported their assault felt dissatisfied with the process.
Last year, the Government established the National Student Ombudsman, which can investigate complaints from students about violence on campus and universities’ decisions.
National Code
On Thursday, the Government published its proposed National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to.
If passed, “all higher education providers” would have to follow the code, which would require them to make their gender-based violence prevention plans public.
Universities would also be required to ask prospective employees if “they have been investigated for an allegation of Gender-based Violence”. This would also apply to current employees up for a promotion.
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The code will also ban the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in handling reports of gender-based violence on campus.
If unis and other education providers are found to have broken the code, they would face financial penalties.
Education Minister Jason Clare said the Government needed to “take steps to stop sexual violence from happening in the first place… and when the worst does happen, staff and students should get the response and support they deserve, every time.”
University
The peak body for the higher-education sector, Universities Australia, welcomed the decision.
A spokesperson for the body said: “Gender-based violence is completely unacceptable and universities, like every part of Australian society, have a role to play in addressing this problem.”
Opposition
The Coalition said it will examine the bill to ensure it achieves better outcomes for students before supporting it.
Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson said the bill should aim to address the “unacceptable” rates of incidents that are “swept under the carpet”.
“Whether they are on campus, online or in student accommodation, keeping students safe including from sexual assault and harassment is a critical responsibility of universities,” Henderson said.
