University sexual assault and sexual harassment project – August 2017 (PDF version)
This is an issue for everyone not just students! Your union, the CPSU, the Professional Staff Union is here for you!
The Australian Human Rights Commission has undertaken a project on sexual assault and sexual harassment of university students. The purpose of the project is to provide an accurate picture of the nature and extent of sexual assault and sexual harassment at universities, and how universities respond to these incidents.
This project consisted of two main elements:
The project has come after years of advocacy by survivors of sexual assault, student representatives and other organisations to raise public awareness of the issue of sexual assault and sexual harassment at Australian universities.
One of the outcomes of this project is that universities will fund a new national support line over the next four months to ensure student victims and survivors of sexual assault can access round-the-clock specialist support in the wake of a landmark survey on student safety.
The additional service will ensure strong specialist support is available to student survivors in the months immediately following the 1 August release of a university-commissioned report on sexual assault and sexual harassment in university student communities.
In addition to the national report, the Commission is providing universities with information about the rates of sexual assault and sexual harassment at their individual institutions.
All 39 universities that took part have committed to release this data publicly on the same day that the national report is released.
As your union, we know it is not just students who need support, so please if you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault please make a complaint and take the issue further. We are here to support you and help in any way possible.
We are looking to develop a strategy with members input so please contact us with ideas and if you would like to become involved.
Please contact Monika Wunderlin, Industrial Officer of the CPSU/PSA.
