RMIT welcomes the passing of legislation to establish a mandatory National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence.
The Code, which was legislated by the Albanese Government this week, will set standards and requirements that all higher education providers must meet to make students and staff safer.
Under the National Code, universities will be required to take evidence-based steps to prevent gender-based violence, including providing education and training to students and staff.
RMIT is committed to driving long-term cultural change, ensuring that safety and respect are embedded across the University, and has expanded its gender-based violence prevention and response initiatives in anticipation of the Code being constituted.
In May this year, RMIT released its 2024 Addressing Gender-Based Violence Annual Report.
This is the second year RMIT has publicly disclosed data on both disclosures and formal reports of gender-based violence, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and accountability as outlined in the University's Addressing Gender-Based Violence Strategic Action Plan 2023-2027.
Throughout this year, RMIT's Prevention and Respect team has led a coordinated institutional response to the proposed Code. This has included a legislative review, a compliance readiness checklist and a comprehensive gap analysis.
The team has been proactively commencing implementation of the requirements outlined in the Code, with key activities including:
- Redevelopment of staff and student e-modules.
- Delivery of targeted training for student leaders and staff.
- Increased co-design with students and staff, developing programs that help prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
- Evaluation of prevention and training programs.
- Development of a staged action plan aligned with the Code's standards.
RMIT has also identified several priority areas, including:
- Embedding gender-based violence risk assessments into recruitment and promotion processes.
- Clarifying the Code's application to affiliated organisations and partners.
- Applying timeframe requirements to the updated policy suite.
- Strengthening data collection, analysis, and reporting systems.
- Reviewing contractual agreements with student accommodation providers.
Co-chair of the RMIT Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Group for Addressing Gender-Based Violence, Mish Eastman, said the University has no tolerance for gender-based violence.
"We are committed to creating a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for everyone at RMIT. We will continue to support those impacted by gender-based violence, and we will drive best practice prevention and response strategies at a whole-of-institution level," she said.
"The release of RMIT's Addressing Gender-Based Violence Annual Report 2024 earlier this year highlights our sustained commitment to preventing and responding to gender-based violence. We believe in transparency and institutional accountability.
"RMIT's actions are aligned with the National Code, and the University is well positioned to meet its requirements."
