Among rising rates of sexual assault and harassment in university spaces, advocates are demanding urgent action ahead of the government’s response to the Universities Accord Interim Report.
Forty six groups and individuals have signed an open letter calling for the Albanese government to establish an independent oversight body to address university failures on sexual violence.
“In the six years since the release of the landmark Change the Course report, university leaders have been claiming to have a ‘zero tolerance’ for sexual assault,” the letter states.
“Yet the recent National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) shows continuing shocking rates of sexual assault and harassment in university spaces, and ongoing university failures to provide affected students with adequate avenues for support.”
The letter raises alarm that if nothing changes, it’s estimated at least 14,300 students will be sexually assaulted in university contexts each coming year, according to NSSS figures.
“Student safety data has made it very clear that universities cannot be trusted to mark their own work in this area,” said Fair Agenda’s Executive Director Renee Carr. “For more than six years we’ve seen countless university press releases about supposed commitments to action and reform in this area; but the reality for students is that many universities are still actively causing harm with their responses to sexual violence.”
President of No Student Left Behind and student at Western Sydney University, Vicky-Rae Reed, said they’ve been hearing from students that little has improved and, for some, the situation has gotten worse.
“We know that students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence, yet they’re still coming up against university reporting systems that aren’t accessible, so many students with disabilities can’t even make their reports let alone get the action they need,” said Reed, adding that gender-divers, male and LGBTQIA students are also still being ignored by universities.
The open letter calls on the Albanese government to urgently intervene and implement an independent oversight and accountability mechanism with a mandate to address sexual violence at universities.
The letter’s signatories– such as Fair Agenda, End Rape on Campus Australia and the National Union of Students– have clarified that this independent oversight and accountability must be led by experts in sexual violence who can assess the quality of university responses and prevention programs.
Advocates say the mechanism should have the authority to compel institutional transparency around incidents and responses. It should also be able to implement meaningful sanctions when basic standards aren’t met.
Other signatories who’ve joined the call include current and former students representatives from some of Australia’s largest and most prestigious universities, as well as peak bodies for sexual violence and family violence support services including the National Women’s Safety Alliance, the Australian Women’s Health Network and Women’s Legal Services Australia.
“We can’t expect to improve women’s safety if key institutions like universities are allowed to operate with such impunity,” said the Chair of the Australian Women’s Health Network, Bonney Corbin. “Our governments have agreed to address gender-based violence across all communities – to achieve that, we must end sexual violence inside universities.”
As the Universities Accord to transform Australia’s higher education system is underway, advocates are using this open letter to demand sexual violence be dealt with as a priority issue in this reform.
Spokesperson for Women’s Legal Services Australia, Yvette Cehtel, explains the urgency of the situation, particularly for young women in universities who are seeking support as a victim-survivor.
“If someone chooses to pursue criminal charges against the person who raped them, it can take years to get any kind of outcome in the courts,” said Cehtel.
“In the meantime, students who have been sexually assaulted or harassed have some needs that can only be met by their university – whether that’s an extension on an assignment or to have their tutorial time changed so that they don’t have to encounter the person who assaulted them.”
“When universities fail to meet those needs, they exacerbate the harm suffered by students, which impedes their overall recovery.”
Founder of End Rape on Campus, Sharna Bremner added that “Students can’t wait for another report, or another set of recommendations. We need accountability, and we need it now.”