The Baseline Policy Framework for Addressing Gender-Based Violence is designed as a practical resource for higher education and research institutions, providing clear provisions and guidance on how to prevent, address, and respond to gender-based violence. It covers definitions, institutional commitments, reporting and investigation procedures, protection measures, support services, training, and monitoring. Importantly, it draws on the 7P model (prevalence, prevention, protection, prosecution, provision, policies, partnerships) to ensure a holistic and structural approach.

This framework is work in progress, currently being tested by the members of the GenderSAFE CoP, and is to be further refined and expanded. If you would like to contribute to the final version by providing feedback or comments on the text, please contact us at f……@gendersafe.eu.

By opening this draft, GenderSAFE aims to encourage dialogue and collective ownership of policies that ensure safe, inclusive and respectful environments for all members of higher education and research communities.

New Resource: A Strategic Guide to Tackling Resistance to Gender-Based Violence Policies

Gender-based violence remains a deeply rooted issue across European research and higher education institutions. While awareness is growing, implementing effective institutional responses still faces resistance. To support those leading change, GenderSAFE has developed a new resource: “Strategic Framing to Tackle Resistance to Change: Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Research and Academia.”

This practical guide is designed to empower change agents in research and higher education institutions, whether they are delivering training, preparing for policy dialogue, drafting a strategy, or engaging in everyday advocacy within the institution.

Informed by lessons from the GenderSAFE project, the UniSAFE toolkit, and insights from participatory workshops across Europe, the guide draws on the principles of strategic framing and helps change agents:

• understand and anticipate resistance;
• respond with evidence-based, values-aligned messaging;
• frame gender-based violence as a central issue of institutional performance and care;
• align your messaging with stakeholder priorities and institutional goals.

The content integrates approaches from gender equality trainers and professionals, institutional practitioners and researchers. It includes both reframed common arguments and insights into the complexity of communicating about gender-based violence in higher education and research institutions.

Based on the initial studies published by GenderSAFE, this first policy brief provides higher education and research institutions and other stakeholders with insights into existing policy approaches on the zero-tolerance approach (Bondestam et al., 2024) and the needs of people in specific at-risk positions and situations (Michlová et al., 2024). Structured along the main components of the  Zero-Tolerance Code of Conduct (European Commission, 2024), it provides actionable recommendations for institutions to develop cultures that recognise the structural nature of gender-based violence and take seriously all forms of gender-based violence, enforce compliance, foster trust, and by doing so, encourage a culture where victims/survivors feel supported to come forward.

Strong Deterrence

A zero-tolerance approach can be a strong deterrent against gender-based violence by ensuring all incidents are taken seriously and addressed with appropriate measures and sanctions. While some argue that such policies may be too severe and discourage reporting, the greater obstacle is the widespread failure of institutions to take meaningful action and enforce sanctions.

Clear Message

Many institutions fail to establish a consistent stance or provide clear information on reporting mechanisms, leading to uncertainty about what constitutes misconduct and where individuals can seek support. A zero-tolerance approach sends a clear message that all forms of gender-based violence are unacceptable.

Institutional Change

Gender-based violence is embedded in hierarchical power structures which often remain invisible. A zero-tolerance approach requires moving beyond treating gender-based violence as individual incidents and instead fostering institutional change: enhancing institution’s capacity for handling cases, addressing gaps in the provision of support and services, and embedding intersectionality at all levels.

Clarity of Intent

Adopting a zero-tolerance approach establishes a clear institutional stance and commitment to addressing gender-based violence. This contrasts with the widespread ambiguity in how institutions define misconduct, outline procedures, and communicate what constitutes a policy violation or how to report it (Michlová et al., 2024). Institutions must provide precise definitions and policy guidelines, ensure fair and impartial investigations, promote transparency, and prioritise the protection of victims and survivors.

Focus on Rehabilitation and Healing

Rehabilitation is a cornerstone of institutional change, addressing the root causes of gender-based violence while fostering institutional healing and sustained improvement. Traditional approaches often treat cases as individual failures without considering the systemic structures that enable such behaviours. Rehabilitation shifts this narrative by emphasising education, accountability, and prevention of future harm. This approach not only aims to prevent repeat offences but also promotes a broader cultural shift within the institution.

Next to its Report on zero-tolerance policies, GenderSAFE has issued a second deliverable providing an assessment of specific needs to be addressed in institutional policies on gender-based violence, regarding intersectionality, precarity and mobility. In this analysis, needs are understood as the essential requirements and resources necessary to support victims/survivors effectively.

The UniSAFE survey has revealed that gender-based violence disproportionately affects non-binary, trans, and LGBQ+ students and staff, as well as those from ethnic minorities, with disabilities or chronic illnesses, working in precarious conditions, participating in mobility schemes, or conducting research at remote sites (Lipinsky et al. (2022); Humbert et al. (2022)).

Why are these students and staff more affected than others?

How do institutions currently respond to the needs of groups at increased risk of gender-based violence?

What requirements and resources would be necessary for institutions to effectively address gender-based violence affecting these groups? 

GenderSAFE presents the results of a needs assessment related to the experiences of gender-based violence among groups at increased risk, with a particular focus on intersectionality, mobility and precarity. It specifically targeted women and researchers facing multiple intersectional inequalities; people from various disciplines working in remote research sites, on mobility schemes or on field trips; and doctoral and postdoctoral fellows employed in precarious positions. This needs assessment followed two objectives:

• Fill a knowledge gap by generating new insight into the experiences of specific at-risk groups with the institutional response to their experience of gender-based violence, focusing on intersectionality, mobility and precarity.
• Contribute the operationalisation of the Model Policy Framework developed in the project, to be tested with the GenderSAFE Community of Practice with a view to making this Model Policy Framework reflective of the needs of these target groups, and thus more inclusive and sensitive to intersectional inequalities.

A literature review of the needs and risks facing the defined at-risk groups

This needs assessment was preceded by a literature review that identified various forms of discrimination and violence to which the defined target groups are exposed. The findings underscore specific needs of such at-risk groups to be covered by mechanisms and policies, such as tailored support mechanisms for various at-risk groups, inclusive policies, and proactive measures: dedicated officers, accessible reporting systems and explicit inclusion of intersectional aspects in the institutional policies to address gender-based violence and promote safer environments for all individuals.

An analysis of institutional responses to experiences of gender-based violence

The needs assessment focused on the institutional response to experience of gender-based violence in terms of institutional policies, practices, processes, and procedures related to reporting, investigation and case handling, protective measures and sanctioning. The objective was to also capture situations where institutional policies are lacking or where institutional gender-based violence or other policies are in place but fall short of adequately serving the defined at-risk groups.

A total of 29 interviews was conducted with researchers and non-academic staff across Europe between April and June 2024.

The experiences reported in the interviews underscore various and multiple shortcomings in policies and the institutional responses to reported cases. The analysis presented in this report focuses on the following topics, selected as particularly salient for further work in the project:

• The institutional response to experiences of gender-based violence;
• Power, hierarchies and different forms of marginalisation;
• Awareness;
• Services;

Overall, the needs assessment report highlights the lack of effective and inclusive institutional policies, inadequate awareness and communication about available policies and support mechanisms, and challenges in reporting, investigating and sanctioning incidents of gender-based violence. The findings also emphasise the compounded vulnerabilities of individuals who belong to multiple marginalised groups, who often face unique challenges that are not adequately addressed by existing policies.

The implications of these findings are discussed to further the concept of a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence, as well as for the Model Policy Framework under development in GenderSAFE, before ending with brief conclusions.

Read the full report and analysis, available for all on Zenodo!

As policy attention to gender-based violence in higher education and research is increasingly growing, GenderSAFE aims to advance these efforts by strengthening zero-tolerance policies with a unified policy approach across the EU.

Establishing a European baseline

GenderSAFE’s deliverable, “Report on Zero-Tolerance Approaches to Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education and Research,” seeks to establish an EU-wide understanding of zero-tolerance policies (ZTA) against gender-based violence, including sexual harassment.  Authored by Bondestam, Fikejzová, Linková, and Strid (2024), this comprehensive report offers a brief background and description of the current scholarly debates related to the zero-tolerance approach, followed by a critical analysis of how HEIs in Europe are addressing gender-based violence with this approach, and key conclusions and recommendations. It focuses on two national contexts—Sweden (SE) and Ireland (IE)—chosen for their existing frameworks that reflect zero-tolerance principles. These case studies not only shed light on current practices but also highlight the gaps and challenges that still exist in fully realising a zero-tolerance culture.

The dual nature of zero-tolerance policies

The concept of zero-tolerance refers to policies that require action for any form of violations of set boundaries, regardless of the severity of the violation. Zero-tolerance policies are not completely new – they have been discussed since the early 1990s, with varying implementations and criticisms. The report delves into the conceptual complexities of such approaches, based on two main types identified by previous research: absolutist and symbolic. The absolutist approach involves strict, broad prohibitions of gender-based violence, often coupled with severe penalties for violators. On the other hand, the symbolic approach uses zero-tolerance rhetoric as a declaration of intent, though it may lack the robust mechanisms needed for effective enforcement.

This duality presents a significant challenge. Without clear definitions and practical frameworks, zero-tolerance policies risk becoming symbolic gestures rather than tools for real change. The report underscores the importance of moving beyond mere rhetoric to ensure that zero-tolerance approach policies lead to meaningful institutional change.

Insights from Sweden and Ireland: inspiring practices and pitfalls

The report provides a deep dive into the policies and their implementation in Swedish and Irish HEIs, revealing both inspiring practices and areas that require further attention. For instance, while desk research revealed that two-thirds of Swedish HEIs and half of Irish HEIs mention zero-tolerance in their policies, none of them offer explicit definitions or comprehensive frameworks to guide these policies. Only one Irish HEI institution explicitly reported using a ZTA framework in the questionnaire, employing a systematic and intersectional approach to address gender-based violence. This lack of clarity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for institutions to refine and reinforce their commitments.

In Sweden, the emphasis on a zero-tolerance approach has served as a catalyst for broader policy development around gender-based violence. It has pushed HEIs to replace narrower concepts like sexual harassment with more encompassing frameworks, driving the need for common guidelines on sanctioning perpetrators. Meanwhile, in Ireland, the role of senior management in enforcing ZTA has been highlighted as crucial in addressing gender-based violence, suggesting strictness and taking the issue seriously at all levels.

Overcoming challenges and moving forward

One of the key challenges identified is the symbolic use of a zero-tolerance approach without proper operationalisation, which can lead to non-reporting and other unintended consequences. Additionally, aligning ZTA with a victim-centred approach in hierarchical academic settings remains difficult. The report also notes the clashes between national policies and institutional frameworks, particularly in Ireland, where the Department of Justice’s policies sometimes conflict with the Higher Education Authority’s consent frameworks.

However, the report does not merely highlight problems—it offers a path forward. Among its recommendations are the need for clear definitions of ZTA, embedding these policies within broader institutional change strategies like Gender Equality Plans, and ensuring continuous monitoring and evaluation of their effectiveness.

The road ahead

GenderSAFE’s deliverable is more than just an analysis—it’s a call to action for HEIs across Europe. The report reveals that while some progress has been made, significant gaps remain in the implementation and understanding of zero-tolerance policies. By addressing these gaps and following the report’s recommendations, institutions can move closer to creating truly safe and equitable environments for all.

In collaboration with a community of practice involving higher education institutions, students, and national authorities, the GenderSAFE project is setting out to explore how the baseline principles can be contextualised and operationalised, how challenges can be addressed and problems overcome, and how different perspectives (including from students) can be integrated in policy design and implementation.