Abstract
ABSTRACT Sustained civil society activism has played a critical role over the last decade in demanding institutional accountability around how the Australian university sector and Australian governments respond to, and seek to prevent, sexual assault and sexual harassment in university settings. Drawing on social movement theory, this article analyses the multi-pronged strategies and campaigning tactics adopted by student representative bodies, survivor advocates and activist organisations, alongside strategic media interventions, to demonstrate the critical importance of these interventions in heightening awareness, challenging institutional and government inertia and driving substantive institutional and regulatory action in responding to sexual violence in university settings. The discussion will consider the role of these civil society interventions in shifting key institutional actors from episodic management of incidents and inconsistent and ritualistic responses to sexual violence in university settings towards more substantive, systemic approaches—more effectively promoting rights and holding universities, residential colleges and governments to account.
Published Version
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