Gender-based Violence on Campus and the Role of Student Legal and Advocacy Services
SESSION OVERVIEW
Universities across Australia are undertaking reviews into gender-based violence that happens on campus, or that otherwise affects staff or students. This presentation will provide an overview of these reviews with a focus on responding to allegations or incidents of gender-based violence. We will also consider whether these responses go far enough based on the experience of legal and advocacy services and identify areas for possible future reform.
In this presentation, we will also give an overview of the proposed new National Student Ombudsman that is likely to be established in early 2025. This will include an outline of the Ombudsman’s proposed powers and the types of matters it will investigate. We will also reflect on the role that legal and advocacy services might play when it comes into effect.
Finally, we will highlight case studies that illustrate how issues relating to gender-based violence can arise in the University context, and how legal and advocacy services can help victims and perpetrators navigate complex disciplinary and legal processes both within the university context and externally.
PRESENTERS
Meredith Hagger is a Principal Solicitor at Youth Law Australia, a national community legal centre that helps young people under 25, anywhere in Australia, with any legal problem. Youth Law Australia has partnered with the Tasmanian University Student Association to run a Student Legal Service for students of the University of Tasmania. Meredith has been a solicitor for over 10 years, and is a co-chair of the National Student Legal Service Network. Meredith is passionate about the right to education, and helping students in all kinds of educational settings with legal issues.
Sarah Loewy is a Senior Solicitor at Youth Law Australia, a national community legal centre that helps young people under 25, anywhere in Australia, with any legal problem. Sarah works in the Student Legal Service providing free legal advice and assistance to students at the University of Tasmania. Sarah has been a solicitor for over five years, with a focus on civil law and litigation. Sarah is also a university student herself.
Naomi Smith is the Senior Sexual Harm Response Coordinator at the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) Advocacy and Legal Service. The UMSU Sexual Harm Response Coordinators provide victim-centred and trauma informed support to students who are victim-survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. The service was established in 2019 to provide independent advice to students who had experienced barriers to making sexual misconduct complaints at the University of Melbourne. Naomi Smith holds a Master of Social Work and has worked in in their role since 2022. During that time, they have also facilitated primary prevention programs on gender-based violence at La Trobe University. Naomi is passionate about increasing the accessibility of support services and complaints processes for students and reducing the bureaucratic burden that victim-survivors experience when navigating systems.
