Fair Agenda

Today Education Minister Jason Clare has introduced legislation to create a National Student Ombudsman - enacting the first-part of the nation-wide Action Plan Addressing Gender-Based Violence In Higher Education.

Leading student safety advocates End Rape on Campus Australia, The STOP Campaign and Fair Agenda marked this milestone from the gallery; and have praised the reform as an important step.

Sharna Bremner, Founder & Director, End Rape on Campus Australia said: 

“For too long rape survivors have been abandoned and harmed by their universities; and failed again by the systems that were supposed to hold them accountable. From next year higher education students will finally have a way to file a complaint about their university’s harmful response to their report of sexual violence. Most importantly, those complaints will now actually be investigated, and there will be consequences for universities and residences who put student safety at risk.”

Camille Schloeffel, Founder & Chair The STOP Campaign added:

“Victim-survivors have been calling out for change for years - dealing with universities and residences that haven’t been willing to do what’s needed to support student safety, or even provide basic adjustments to support victim-survivors to continue their education. We shouldn’t have had to share the horrors of what we experienced to get change. But we’re so relieved that Minister Clare has listened, and acted quickly.”

Renee Carr, Executive Director of Fair Agenda said: 

“Universities have been failing victim-survivors of rape for too long. For years survivors, students and advocates have been calling for oversight, transparency and accountability in this space - and we’re thrilled that we have an Action Plan to deliver that. 

The creation of the National Student Ombudsman is a critical piece of that solution. When combined with strong legislated standards through the upcoming National Code, these reforms will finally deliver safer universities.”

The groups credited this reform to the strength and perseverance of victim-survivors who have spoken out about university and residence’s harmful actions over many years.

The National Student Ombudsman is set to commence operations in February 2025. The associated National Code legislation is in development, and advocates hope that a strong model will be introduced before the end of this year, and supported across the parliament.