#7 Preparing for the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Code: Data, Evidence and Impact

This article is the seventh 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.

Everyone says they care about student safety. But how do we know it’s working? Are policies making a difference? Are campaigns shifting culture? Are services reaching the right people? The Data, Evidence and Impact standard of the Code asks institutions not just to act but to measure.

What the standard says

Institutions must:

• Collect and use data to inform prevention and response strategies;

• Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives;

• Engage with students and staff in interpreting data and identifying areas for improvement;

• Maintain transparency through reporting and continuous improvement;

• Safeguard the privacy, dignity, and safety of individuals in all data practices.

*The Code has specific reporting requirements and timeframes for whole-of-organisation plans and corresponding reports, internal incident reporting and publication of documentation.

For leaders and decision-makers

You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t be credible without evidence of progress. Here’s where your leadership matters most:

• Treat GBV data as core business: GBV intersects with retention and success, campus safety, legal and reputational risk, and staff and student experience. Fund and resource it accordingly with dedicated analysts or evaluation support, and not just tacked onto someone’s other duties.

  
  

• Set meaningful KPIs: Track more than just how many people attended training or clicked on a module. Are people more confident in responding to disclosures? Are students reporting greater feelings of safety? Are incidents decreasing or just underreported?

  
  

• Report with integrity: This work is undeniably complex and sensitive but use the opportunity to be honest about gaps, progress, and what’s next.

For practitioners leading the work

You’re probably already swimming in data including surveys, incident logs, student feedback, evaluation forms. Here’s how to start turning insight into impact:

• Map your data sources: List out what you already collect (student safety surveys, incident reports and disclosures, usage data from training modules, feedback from services and support pathways and consultation sessions with student or staff reps).

• Involve students in interpretation: Sharing de-identified data with students builds buy-in and gives context to their lived experience. Set up student-staff working groups or advisory panels to make sense of the data, identify blind spots, and co-design improvements.

  
  

• Evaluate everything: Campaigns, training, policies, partnerships - build in evaluation from the start. Ask what are we trying to change? How will we know it worked? What will we do if it doesn’t?

Quick wins:

• Develop a simple dashboard tracking key metrics for GBV prevention and response.

• Build feedback loops into every training session and support service.

• Partner with research teams to design ethical and inclusive evaluation frameworks.

• Regularly report progress (and setbacks) to senior leadership, student reps, and the broader community.

Data helps to provide clarity and course correction. If we’re serious about change, we must be serious about evidence, and if we want our communities to trust us, we have to show them the impact and not just the intention.

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