Preventing gender-based violence

Gender-based violence in Australia is preventable. However, it is a national problem, and the drivers are deep in our culture and society.

What is gender-based violence?

Gender-based violence includes a wide range of behaviours, such as dating violence, physical and sexual violence, image-based abuse and sexual harassment. Gender-based violence includes violence against young and adult women, as well as violence experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQA+) people.

Violence against women is the most common form of gender-based violence in Australia and is typically perpetrated by a current or former intimate, male partner.

What drives gender-based violence?

Evidence shows that violence against women is much more likely to occur when power, opportunities and resources are not shared equally between men and women in society, and when women are not valued and respected as much as men.

Research tells us that there are four key drivers of violence against women.

These four drivers impact our experiences, as well as influence the cultures of our organisations, our institutions and our community more broadly. This is true for all schools, which are both education institutions and workplaces.

An Asian Australian woman is sitting in a meeting listening to a male colleage, with another male colleage next to her. She is listening intently.

The link between gender inequality and violence against women

3 minute read

Find out more about the gendered drivers of violence against women.

The benefits for your school

Through age-appropriate curriculum, modelling respectful relationships and implementing a whole of school approach to this work, respectful relationships education can:

Strengthen your school’s commitment to gender equality.
Shift staff and student attitudes towards gender equality.
Challenge gender stereotyping among students.
Improve school policies and procedures to facilitate gender equitable workplaces.
Highlight and reduce barriers to promotion for women.

Three young people in discussion in front of a whiteboard, one person is writing something

Whole-of-school approach

6 minute read

A whole-of–school approach provides in-class education and addresses your school’s culture, policies and practices.

A group of co-ed secondary school students walking along a corridor.

Respectful relationships education resources

Find tools and resources related to respectful relationships education including evidence guides, toolkits and templates.