Creating a safe and respectful community

Creating a safe and respectful community at RMIT.

Our commitment

Our committment

At RMIT University we will protect the right of every member of our community to learn, interact and participate fully in university life, confident that they are welcome, they are safe, and they belong.  

Gender-based violence is a significant human rights issue occurring across all segments of society. It has profound negative impacts on safety, trust, and the lives of those who experience it.  

We stand in solidarity with those in our community with lived experience of gender-based violence. We will support them, no matter where this violence occurs. 

We also acknowledge the intersecting forms of inequality, discrimination, and disrespect that contribute to the experience and impacts of gender-based violence, and the many diverse communities who are disproportionately affected.  

Gender-based violence in all its forms is unacceptable. We welcome the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence (National Code) as a critical step in strengthening sector-wide consistency, accountability and safety standards. As a place of learning, we are committed to being part of the solution. 

Led by our values, we will seek to understand and dismantle the systems, structures and behaviours that lead to gender-based violence.

We will be unwavering in our effort to embed a shared understanding of respect and create a safe environment where support and response systems are trusted by those who need them most. 

We have a deep commitment to accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. At all times we will hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and be unrelenting in our determination to eliminate gender-based violence impacting our community. 

Through a trauma and violence-informed, person-centred and evidence-based approach, we commit to: 

Provide response and support services that are person-centred, safe and trusted, so that people impacted by gender-based violence, including witnesses, feel empowered to seek help. 
Embed leadership accountability for the prevention and response of gender-based violence through specialised training and renewed governance structures. 
Treat all people with dignity and respect, welcoming students and staff from diverse backgrounds. 
Create safe campus environments through continuous improvement of workforce policies and practices, extending to engagement of accommodation providers, contractors, visitors and volunteers. 
Enable a culture of prevention, early intervention and respect through mandatory training, communications and targeted initiatives designed and delivered in partnership with disciplines. 
Use data-driven insights to inform our approach, measure change and contribute to the national evidence-base.

In this way, we will actively work to eliminate gender-based violence, taking accountability as individuals and as an institution of influence. 

Embedding a culture of respect

Embedding a culture of respect at RMIT

Since 2016, we’ve worked hard to build a culture of respect and make RMIT a safer place for everyone. We’ve put in place ongoing initiatives to reduce and prevent gender-based violence, and to support those affected by it. One incident of gender-based violence is one incident too many.

We are leading a whole-of-organisation approach across RMIT to address gender-based violence. Our prevention and response strategies need to work together along a continuum. 

To do so, RMIT adopts the framework outlined in Our Watch’s Change the Story.

Primary prevention – initiatives to target the drivers of gender-based violence to prevent it before it occurs
Early intervention – intervening early with groups and individuals who are at greater risk of using gender-based violence
Response – supporting people impacted by gender-based violence and holding those who use it accountable
Recovery – an ongoing process which support and promotes the wellbeing, safety, health and resilience of people impacted

Our progress

Date	Milestone
2016	Establishment of the Safer Community team. Participation in the National Student Safety Survey.
2017	Establishment of the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group on Reducing Sexual Harm (now the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Group on Addressing Gender-based Violence.) Changing the Course, a three-year (2017–2020) strategic plan and prevention framework to reduce sexual harm.
2018	Launch of the Sexual Harm and Responding to Disclosures e-learning module. Launched Bringing in the Bystander, a requirement for student leaders to complete. Delivery of Be the Change communication and engagement campaign (2018-2020)
2020	RMIT awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation. The Advisory Group expanded its Terms of Reference to include all forms of gender-based violence. Launch of Respectful Research Training for HDR supervisors and candidates.
2021–22	Participation in National Student Safety Survey. Launch of mandatory Working with Children Check at RMIT. Development of the Respect Capability Framework. Launch of Women in STEMM Ambassador program.
2022	RMIT awarded Athena Swan Cygnet for Recruiting women and gender-diverse staff in STEMM fields. Launch of vocational course in recognising and responding to sexual violence. Launch of the Gender Equity and Justice Community, Teaching and Learning Project. Release of RMIT’s Gender Equality Action Plan (2022-2025) for staff Publication of the Respect at RMIT Progress Report (2017-2022)
2023	Launch of IDEA Framework. Specialist gender-based violence investigation response launched for both staff and students. RMIT awarded Athena Swan Cygnet for Barriers to participation and career fulfilment for parents and carers. Annual participation in Respect Week began. Publication of the first Annual Report on gender-based violence. Introduction of Domestic and Family Violence Leave guideline. Release of the Addressing Gender-based Violence Strategic Action Plan. Publication of the Student Gender Equity Action Plan 2023–26.
2024	Annual participation in Walk Against Family Violence began. Training for executive leaders delivered in partnership with Our Watch. Student e-learning module on Sex and Consent made mandatory for commencing students. Release of Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace e-learning module. Launch of Working Together with Men pilot. Launch of The Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends comic strip. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Policy Suite developed, covering both RMIT Australia and Vietnam.
2025–26	Introduction of the National Code. Award of RMIT Athena Swan Cygnet for Supporting LGBTIQA+ inclusion (PDF). Updates to Conflict of Interest and Staff and Student Relationships policies to capture 'intimate personal relationships'. Introduction of new gender-based violence mandatory checks during recruitment and promotion, reward and recognition processes. Award of two SAGE Athena Swan Cygnets to RMIT: Enabling accessibility: supporting people with disability and neurodivergence and Respectful cultures and behaviours. RMIT receives Silver accreditation for the Athena Swan program. Development of the Anti-Racism and Religious Discrimination Commitment and Action Plan. Development of the updated Student Gender Equity Action Plan and Staff Gender Equality Action Plan. Participation in 2026 National Student Safety Survey, including the pilot survey.

The National Student Safety Survey

As part of our commitment to reducing sexual harm, RMIT has participated in the National Student Safety Survey since it was first deployed in 2016.

The most recent survey, in 2021 saw a total of 665 RMIT higher education students completing the survey (6.6% of the 10,000 students invited to participate).

We're grateful to everyone who shared their views and we recognise the courage of those who shared experiences of harm.

While the results of the National Safety Student Survey show that some progress has been made, there is clearly still more work to be done.

Read more about RMIT’s 2021 National Student Safety Survey results and participation in the 2026 Survey.

Learn more about the survey

Get support

If you have experienced concerning, inappropriate, threatening or uncomfortable behaviour on or off campus, support is available. Contact Safer Community to discuss your concerns and explore your options.

Contact Safer Community

Creating a safe and respectful community