Report from The Saturday Paper: Universities Australia have shelved a student-facing respectful relationships campaign because a minority of vice-chancellors among the 39 universities the body represents objected to its explicit nature.
Greens Senator Larissa Waters will pursue the matter directly when Universities Australia appear at a Senate Inquiry into sexual consent laws and education next week.
Greens spokesperson on Women, Senator Larissa Waters said:
“Universities have a clear responsibility to provide a safe environment for students, with 275 sexual assaults in a university setting each week, it’s clear they are failing.
“Reporting today suggests universities are also failing to provide the educational resources young adults need, because of the archaic mindset of a few old dinosaurs in charge of our tertiary institutions.
“Allowing the prudish nonsense of a minority of vice-chancellors to shelve a government-funded campaign is embarrassing enough, but Universities Australia attempting to hide the decision is outrageous.
“If Universities Australia don’t want to provide sexual consent education to the adults on its campuses, it should hand back the $1.5 million it was provided to do so.
“I will be pursuing this matter directly with Universities Australia when they appear before a Senate Inquiry into sexual consent laws and education next week.”