This setting includes academic, vocational and training environments – universities and TAFEs.
Why this setting?
Tertiary education settings such as universities and TAFEs have broad reach as places of learning, workplaces and community hubs. Their workforce of upwards of 140 thousand academics and professionals that can influence over 1.4 million students, directly and through their networks.
Many people access tertiary institutions in young adulthood. This period is a critical stage when gender identities, roles and relationships are being formed. Supporting young men and women at this time to establish positive practices has many benefits. Additionally, while violence affects women across the life cycle, it is more prevalent among, and has far-reaching impacts upon, young women.
Engaging entire groups in these settings can achieve wide cultural shifts in attitudes and behaviours towards gender equality and violence.
Key opportunities
- Tertiary institutions can leverage the expertise that already exists within them, including through academics from different disciplines, such as law, sociology, medicine and others.
- Tertiary institutions offer an opportunity for role modelling the transformation of gender stereotypes in different industries, such as women teaching science and technology and men in human services.
- Tertiary institutions can equip students with the skills to apply a gender lens to their chosen profession — for example, to deliver respectful relationships education in a school setting, or respond to disclosures of violence in a health or human services setting.
- Tertiary institutions are workplaces that can embed gender equitable practices across their workforces, including through recruitment, leave provisions and other workplace policies and practices.
- Tertiary institutions have the opportunity to engage international students, recent migrants, young adults with disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as part of a whole-of-population approach.
- Tertiary institutions can work in partnership with associated organisations, such as student unions and student accommodation and colleges, to add value to initiatives.
Things you can do
- Consider a whole-of–institution approach that involves, students, academics/teachers, other staff, campus residential accommodation and the wider community.
- Look at the institution as a workplace and examine the gendered norms, practices and structures of the institution as a whole.
- Include tailored knowledge and skills relating to gender equity and prevention of violence against women in the curriculum of all degrees. For example, a journalism degree could provide students with skills to effectively report on cases of intimate partner violence.
- Implement direct participation programs in bystander intervention, which give participants the skills to address sexist and harmful behaviour.
Resources for prevention work in Australian universities and TAFEs
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A website with tools for violence prevention at TAFEs and unisThe Respect and Equality in Tertiary Education website from Our Watch is for people undertaking violence prevention work at TAFEs and unis. It offers free violence prevention tools to support TAFEs and universities to create an Australia where women are safe, equal and valued.
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A resource collection to prevent violence against women in TAFEsRespect and equality in TAFE is a collection of resources designed by Our Watch for TAFEs to take a whole-of-institution approach to preventing violence against women.
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A resource for universities to prevent gender-based violenceOur Watch's Educating for Equality is a collection of resources, including video, for universities to take a whole-of-university approach to preventing gender-based violence.
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A resource about prevention in Australian universitiesUniversities Australia has resources and networking opportunities through this campaign on the prevention of sexual assault and harassment in Australian universities.
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Research about sexual assault and harassment in Australian universitiesThe University sexual assault and sexual harassment project is research from the Australian Human Rights Commission into the nature, prevalence and reporting of sexual assault and sexual harassment of students in Australian universities.
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A gender equality training courseWomen’s Health Victoria (WHV) and a consortium of organisations to develop and pilot a Course in Gender Equity. The 22521VIC Course in Gender Equity includes eight units of competency.
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A collection of curriculum materials for university media and journalism educatorsA suite of curriculum materials from Our Watch about reporting on violence against women for use by university media and journalism educators. Find lesson and breakout materials, reading lists and assignments.