#2 Preparing for the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Code: Accountable Leadership and Governance

This article is the second instalment in a 12-part series supporting institutions to prepare for the proposed National Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education.

Work to address gender-based violence (GBV) in higher education has been led by passionate individuals operating in silos, often under-resourced, overextended, and without clear institutional backing.

The first standard of the Code changes this by bringing GBV prevention and response squarely into the realm of organisational accountability. This is not a ‘set and forget’ moment for senior leadership but rather a signal that the culture of a university must be actively shaped by the people at the top.

What the standard says

The Accountable Leadership and Governance standard requires institutions to:

• Articulate a clear commitment to preventing and responding to GBV;

• Integrate this work into strategic governance structures;

• Assign senior executive responsibility for implementation and outcomes;

• Regularly monitor, report, and reflect on progress;

• And include GBV risks in risk management.

For leaders and decision-makers

This standard calls for visible, resourced, and embedded action. Here are five actions leaders should be prioritising:

• Appoint a senior lead with authority: Assign a member of the executive team to take carriage of GBV prevention and response. The role should have decision-making power, cross-functional reach, and direct access to the Vice-Chancellor or CEO.

• Integrate GBV into strategic plans: Preventing GBV should be embedded in your institutional strategy, risk management plans, health, safety and wellbeing priorities, and annual reporting and assurance frameworks. Look at your university’s key planning documents. Is GBV mentioned? If not, why?

  
  

• Establish a GBV governance group: Create a dedicated committee or working group chaired by a senior leader. It should include student and staff representatives (including those with lived experience, where appropriate), oversee implementation of the Code, coordinate across areas (e.g. student support, HR, security, legal) and report quarterly to the executive or governing body.

  
  

• Model the behaviour you expect: Your executive team should complete all relevant GBV training, participate in prevention campaigns, attend briefings and proactively communicate the importance of this work. If students and staff don’t see leaders talking about GBV, they’ll assume it’s not a priority, no matter what the strategy says.

  
  

• Resource it properly: No team can deliver institution-wide change on goodwill alone. Ensure that those leading GBV work have dedicated budgets, sufficient FTEs, access to professional development, and the authority to influence systems not just services.

For practitioners leading the work

Many of those working in this space already know what good looks like, you just need leaders to back you in. Here’s how you can use this standard to get traction:

• Map existing governance: Who currently has responsibility for GBV? Where do updates go? What gaps exist? Map your current structures and highlight where stronger executive oversight is needed.

  
  

• Build the case: Use the Code as a reference point. Offer a simple presentation or briefing note that outlines what your institution is required to do, what’s currently in place, and where leadership support is needed. Use language that resonates with decision-makers: “This is a governance gap,” “We are out of alignment with the national standard,” “This poses a reputational and legal risk.”

  
  

• Ask the right questions: Who is accountable for this work? How often do leaders receive updates on it? How are students represented in decision-making? What resourcing is in place to deliver change? Asking the right questions can create space for overdue conversations.

Leadership and governance set the tone for the entire Code. If done well, it creates the conditions for the other standards to take root safely, sustainably, and systemically and can result in culture shifting from being the responsibility of “the passionate few” to a collective, strategic imperative.

Interested to learn more? Read the rest of our series: Raising the Standard: A Practical Blog Series on Preventing GBV in Higher Education