Beyond Compliance

How Deakin Is Taking the Lead on           Gender-Based
Violence in Higher Education

In a world where safety and equity are non-negotiable, the tabling of the proposed National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence in Parliament in February outlines new standards for Australian higher education providers to address gender-based violence.

For Deakin University, however, their commitment to providing safe and supportive environments started long before now, as one of the leading universities laying the foundations for real cultural change across the sector.

Speaking at the recent Gender Equity Breakfast, Mel Martinelli, Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion, and Rhiannon Tanner, Senior Coordinator of Primary Prevention, shared Deakin’s progressive roadmap.

At the heart of their approach is Deakin’s 2025 Respect and Gender-based Violence Action Plan a university-wide initiative focused on:

• Building respectful communities
• Enhancing prevention initiatives
• Responding effectively to gender-based violence disclosures and complaints
• Refining governance, policy and procedures
• Collaborating with students, staff and external partners.

The University is also actively engaging students through focus groups, reviewing council governance processes, training leaders, ensuring gender-based violence policies and procedures meet the new standards by 2026, and are an active participant in sector-wide collaborations like the Victorian Tertiary Primary Prevention Network.

Deakin’s leadership reminds us: change doesn’t come from checking boxes. It comes from commitment, communication, and creating a culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and respected.