New regulator to work in partnership with higher education providers to support good practice in prevention and response to gender-based violence.
Effective from the 1st January 2026, the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, will hold higher education establishments in Australia to account in taking measures to effectively prevent and respond to gender-based violence. The Department for Education has created a new regulatory body, The Higher Education Gender-Based Regulator (GBV Regulator), to not only ensure institutions comply with the measure, but to provide support for HE providers by sharing good practice and improving data collection to help those providers better understand, prevent and take action against gender-based violence.
The new national code aims to, ‘reduce the incidence of gender-based violence, proactively strengthen prevention efforts, improve the response to gender based violence, hold higher education providers accountable for their performance (including in student accommodation)’. Providers who do not comply may face regulatory action including financial penalties.
Higher education providers must meet these 7 standards:
- Accountable leadership and governance
- Safe environments and systems
- Knowledge and capability
- Safety and support
- Safe processes
- Data, evidence and impact
- Safe student accommodation.
The code is just one part of Education Ministers’ Action Plan Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education. Other actions include establishing a new National Student Ombudsman for students/staff to report concerns about a HE providers handling of an incidence of gender-based violence; ensuring all HE providers adopt a whole organisation based approach to prevention and response so everyone is on board and has accountability; enhancing oversight, standards and accountability of standalone student accommodation providers; working collaboratively with HE providers to identify opportunities for policy, legislation and regulation changes/improvements; increasing data transparency and scrutiny; regular consultation and review of progress against the action plan.
“A whole-of-organisation approach must first be underpinned by best-practice, trauma-informed response systems to ensure safety and support for students and staff in response to any type of violence.”
As part of complying with the national code, providers must: publish their prevention and response plans/policies, actively promote student safety and welfare, respond promptly and appropriately to disclosures and provide support services for students/staff.
Learn more from the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services
References
- Australian Government Department of Education (2026) ‘New regulator to support student and staff safety in higher education’. Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/newsroom/articles/new-regulator-support-student-and-staff-safety-higher-education. Accessed: 14th January 2026.
- Australian Government Department of Education (2025) ‘National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence’. Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/highereducationGBVregulator. Accessed: 14th January 2026.
- Education Ministers Meeting (2024) ‘Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education’. Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/download/17983/final-action-plan-addressing-gender-based-violence-higher-education/36856/document/pdf (Accessed: 14th January 2026).
