- Conference
- 2025 National Higher Education Conference
- Date
- 10 September 2024
- Decision
- Carried
Gender Based Violence (GBV) includes a range of behaviours which are recognised in society as being both the cause and consequence of gender inequality. GBV is largely, although not exclusively, perpetrated by men and experienced by women. GBV is both a women’s and a trade union issue.
GBV is recognised as a society wide issue, which means that university staff and students will both be victims and perpetrators. As many as one in four female students have reported unwanted sexual behaviour while at university around the UK.
In 2024, the Office for Students (OfS) published new requirements for universities in England to protect students from harassment and sexual misconduct. This includes a ban on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), commencing on 1 September 2024. In 2019, Scotland adopted a similar position. The suite of guidance and requirements on sexual misconduct as published by the OfS goes beyond the issue of NDAs and speaks to the broader role and responsibility of universities in the prevention and intervention of GBV. Compliance with the recently published guidance will become a condition of registration on 1st August 2025.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government has responded to the pervasive and persistent nature of GBV on campuses by creating the Equally Safe in colleges and universities core leadership group. The group is led by the Further Education/Higher Education Minister and comprises representatives of colleges & universities, the Scottish Funding Council, Civic Leaders, and Trade Union representatives. The group’s responsibilities are to ensure the development and effective delivery of the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities strategy and annual work plans.
The Scottish Government funded the production of the Equally Safe in Higher Education Toolkit. This is a valuable and practical collection of university specific materials that provides a free resource for all universities to utilise and apply to their own institutions. Conference believes that this resource could be further developed to be used in universities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Conference is aware that many universities have created a First Responder like scheme for victims of GBV. However, there is an inconsistent approach to how these schemes operate, who can become a first responder and what training, and support is provided. While recognising that schemes should be responsive to the environment of the campus it operates within, conference believes that there should be a minimum standard set across all universities.
Conference calls on the Higher Education Service Group Executive to:
1)Work with the National Women’s Committee and Learning and Organising Service (LAOS) to increase the understanding of GBV on campus for activists by providing workshops on GBV that covers topics on the law, behaviours; impact and barriers; and how to challenge sexual harassment in the workplace effectively. The workshops should be tailored to the HE environment, including the changes announced by OfS and the differing devolved approaches to tackling GBV.
2)Include a call for action on GBV in the 2025 / 2026 pay claim which could include asking for a joint working group which would make policy recommendations to employers and potentially create a toolkit like the one developed in Scotland.
3)Working with regional HE committees, collect information on which universities have GBV First Responders and how they operate with a view to developing a guide for branches which would contain advice on how to negotiate the introduction of such a scheme and set out best practice.
4)Work with labour link to lobby the UK Government prioritise ending GBV on university campuses.
5)Report back on progress to National Higher Education Conference 2026.