Gender-based Violence and Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Annual Report 2025

The Gender-based Violence and Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Annual Report 2025 demonstrates Monash University’s commitment to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and sexual harm. This is the University’s fourth Annual Report, following the inaugural Sexual Harm Annual Report 2022, the Sexual Harm Annual Report 2023, and the Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Annual Report 2024 released in 2025. The Annual Report reflects a commitment at Monash to accountability, adopted since 2017, as well as a commitment to ongoing development.

Key initiatives across 2025

Several institutional reforms and initiatives have been executed in 2025. Key highlights include:

  • Increased external community partnerships and enhanced sector capability in gender-based violence prevention and response via the Victorian Higher Education Summit on Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response.
  • Two professional practice papers published as part of the Journal of Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association (JANZSSA) special issue on Addressing Gender-based Violence in Tertiary Institutions, on the topics of Monash’s whole-of-organisation approach and the CARE support service.
  • A holistic review of the student-facing training suite, which included relaunching sector-leading programs such as Dating in Australia and The Masculinities Project (TMP).
  • The delivery of 53 engagement events and activations to 6,606 Monash students and staff, as well as the delivery of over 100 facilitated workshops to 3,000 participants online and in-person, and the engagement of 52,250 students and staff in self-paced online learning modules (an increase of 29% from 2024 across training completions) .
  • An updated Respect at Monash module with content developed specifically for students enrolled at Monash Suzhou. The Respect at Monash module is now available and mandatory for all newly commencing Monash students across all international locations.
  • Attainment of the Science in Australia Gender Equality (SAGE) Athena Swan Silver Accreditation, recognising Monash’s leadership and organisational maturity in advancing respect, gender equity, diversity and inclusion.
  • A reduction in average organisation-wide pay gap in total remuneration by 0.4 percentage points from 2023, as part of Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) compliance reporting.
  • A framework for campus threat assessment and management scoped and developed for internal use.

A commitment to ongoing improvement

Transparency with our community underpins how we prevent and respond to gender-based violence and sexual harm, and how we affect cultural change. As we continue our work to ensure a safe and respectful culture across our campuses and beyond, we resolutely support victim-survivors, respond swiftly and empathetically to all disclosures and reports, and provide a diverse and evidence-based range of prevention programming for staff and students.

Our 2026 priorities include:

  • Progressing actions within the Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Action Plan and Outcomes Framework 2026-2030, including:
    • creation of a centralised and accessible repository for respect, equity, diversity and inclusion resources;
    • development of a co-design framework to guide meaningful student involvement in GBV prevention and response campaigns, response protocols, training, risk management, and resource development;
    • introduction of an intervention initiative focused on navigating online risks, technology-facilitated abuse, misinformation, and harmful digital cultures;
    • review and enhancement of GBV-related online learning modules for staff; and,
    • review of recruitment screening practices to ensure sector leading, evidence-based approaches to early intervention.
  • Strengthening a centralised model for responding to disclosures and formal reports, ensuring consistent processes, clear reporting pathways, and improved data‑capture systems across the Monash Group. This includes expanding training and resources, and improving services based on feedback.
  • Continue to support the implementation of the Federal Government Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education, compliance with the National Code, and the roll out of the National Student Safety Survey 2026 by Universities Australia.

Support services

For all other locations, support is available from senior local staff and/or from the local partner institution as applicable, with the Safer Community Unit providing coordination, advice and support.

Having trouble accessing the reports? Please reach out to respect@monash.edu