Statement on the passing of the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Bill

Monash University’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering has been a leading voice on making Australia’s universities safe places to learn and work.

The following remarks can be attributed to Professor Pickering:

“Monash University congratulates the Federal Government on the passing of the Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Bill 2025.

“The National Code is a critical component of the Federal Government’s Action Plan Addressing Gendered Violence in Higher Education, and the National Plan to End Gender-based Violence. The National Code will enable higher education providers to meaningfully contribute to building the evidence-base and data sets related to gender-based violence.

“As a university, we have a profound opportunity to positively shape the values and behaviours of our students to foster meaningful social change. With that influence comes a responsibility to ensure our campuses are safe and respectful. And when safety is compromised, we must provide fair and accessible support that is transparent, trauma-informed and grounded in justice.

“Building on many years of leading practice, Monash has recently established a National Code Taskforce to rapidly lead the full implementation of the National Code. While we are largely already compliant with the Code we recognise that this work does not end – it requires ongoing monitoring and evaluation, innovation and advancement, in order to prevent gender-based violence. Monash will continue to champion the importance of prevention as an utmost priority.

Monash’s National Code Taskforce

  • National Code requires a whole-of-University approach to addressing gender-based violence, which necessitates input and accountability to be dispersed across Monash, with a strong commitment to collaboration and shared responsibilities.
  • Monash’s National Code Taskforce brings together a working group of student leaders, senior executives, subject matters experts and operational leads to focus on enacting important change and innovation to build on existing leading practice and ensure Code compliance.
  • The Taskforce, who first convened in July 2025, shall:
    • Review the University’s compliance status against the National Code;
    • Address areas of partial and or non-compliance, including arising risks and challenges;
    • Engage with the Department of Education Gender-based Violence Unit, as National Code regulator;
    • Assign responsibilities for portfolios, teams and individuals to achieve compliance;
    • Oversee the University’s formal reporting to the Department of Education required per Standard 6 of the National Code; and
    • Provide expert guidance and direction to ensure the University continues to be a sector leader in the prevention of, and response to, gender-based violence and sexual harm.
  • We look forward to keeping our students, staff and wider community updated as this work progresses.

Background

  • Monash has a long-standing commitment to evidence-based, best practice approaches to the prevention of, and responses to, gender-based violence and sexual harm. The University has a responsibility to prevent gender-based violence in our community, and to support victims-survivors, responding justly and empathetically to all disclosures and reports. We remain committed to building a thriving, inclusive and safe community for our staff and students, now and for the future.
  • We are committed to innovation and progress, and not resting on our laurels in relation to how we respond to and prevent gender-based violence.
  • Our robust strategies, policies and procedures support a thriving, inclusive and safe community for our staff and students now and for the future, through a range of sector-leading initiatives designed in collaboration with students, academic experts and victim-survivors.
  • In 2024, Monash published its Strategic Commitment to Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response 2024-2030 and supporting Prevention and Response Action Plan 2024-2025,
  • Monash is committed to transparency and accountability in relation to our prevention and response initiatives, with detailed updates shared through the Sexual Harm Annual Report.