Institutions must be accountable for their actions to end gender-based violence

1. Openly publishing and communicating information on unacceptable behaviours defined by the Zero-Tolerance Code of Conduct and establishing reporting procedures, both online and at the entry points to the institution, such as the ombudsperson’s office, confidential councillors, contact persons, and the like.

2. Clear reporting procedures with adequate timelines for consecutive steps and measures to secure the rights of all parties, including the provision of clear information to victims on the steps and progress of the reporting and investigation procedures.

3. Assigning responsibility at a senior level for overseeing the reporting mechanisms / procedures.

4. Equipping case managers and investigators with a thorough understanding of gender-based violence and the skills to manage victim-centred, trauma-informed investigations.

5. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities throughout the entire procedure of case management.

6. Putting in place processes to address breaches of institutional policy in the absence of formal complaints (such as sexist, LGBTIQ-phobic or sexual remarks).

7. Clearly defining forms of sanction, tailored to the type of institution (Research Performing Organisation/Research Funding Organisation/other), for breaches of policy, and working with reporting and responding parties to achieve safety, respect, and dignity for all researchers and for preventing recurring breaches.

8. Actively monitoring and evaluating the measures put in place to assess their effectiveness, identify gaps and needs, react to newly emerging issues, and ultimately build confidence in and the sustainability of the system.

9. Introducing mechanisms for inter- and intra-institutional accountability to ensure the non-recurrence of gender-based violence at the individual and systemic levels, including measures to prevent multi-site serial misconduct.

10. Ensuring sufficient resources are put in place to implement the above.

Protecting victims/survivors

Among the 43 researchers interviewed within UniSAFE’s qualitative research, the majority stated that perpetrators in their institution were not sanctioned for their actions. In some cases, these individuals not only escaped accountability, but were even promoted, continuing to be regarded as respected members of the research performing organisation Blazyte et al (2023). Given this, it’s unsurprising that so few students and researchers report cases of gender-based violence, considering their voices will go unheard and their situations unchanged Lipinsky et al. (2022); Humbert et al. (2022). One respondent captured this feeling:

“You hear people say […] you should actually file a complaint about that, […] but it wouldn’t make a difference’. And it would only be hard on me and my career. So, people self-silence […] to protect themselves”. (Associate Professor at the time of the interview, woman, age 40-49) Blazyte et all (2023).

How often do we witness institutions shielding “respected members of the community” against allegations of gender-based violence?  This institutional inaction not only perpetuates harm but also deters others from coming forward.

Reporting gender-based violence requires immense courage. However, the reality for many survivors is that doing so becomes a deeply painful process and in some cases even causing them to relive a traumatic experience.

Institutions have a crucial role to play not only to protect their staff and students, but also to ensure all procedures addressing cases of gender-based violence place the needs and priorities of victims/survivors of violence at the forefront of any response, adopting a victim-centred approach.

What is a victim-centred approach?

The zero-tolerance code of conduct published by the European Commission invites research and academic institutions to adopt a “whole-of-institution, trauma-informed and victim- and survivor-centred approach”.

Adopting a victim-centred approach entails “prioritising listening to the victim(s), avoiding re-traumatisation and systematically focusing on their safety, rights, well-being, expressed needs and choices, thereby giving back as much control to victim(s) as feasible and ensuring the empathetic and sensitive delivery of services and accompaniment in a non-judgmental manner.

How to adopt a victim-centred approach in practice?

Along the lines of the 7P model, a victim-centred and trauma-informed approach should be adopted at all levels of addressing gender-based violence in an institution. The UniSAFE guidelines to develop an institutional protocol provide concrete recommendations in this area. This blog post highlights recommendations particularly related to protection, prosecution, and provision of services, summarised as follows:

Protection

• Protective measures should be designed to avoid (potential) victims and survivors suffering (further) harm, in the form of retaliation, social exclusion or otherwise. To this end, a victim-centred approach should be taken to all protective measures. While such protective measures are decided on a case-by-case basis, it is important for institutions to have a repository of possible measures when dealing with a specific case.

Prosecution

When handling cases of gender-based violence within the institution, investigative actions, disciplinary procedures and sanctions for perpetrators must be mainstreamed with a victim-centred, trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach. The UniSAFE guidelines for developing a protocol provide specific recommendations as for instance:

• Highlight the importance of making the person who filed the complaint feel heard and taken seriously
• Re-traumatisation should be avoided throughout the process – for example, by recording the victim’s testimony and report instead of requiring the person to repeat their story several times in different instances.
• Investigators should be trained on understanding violence against women and gender-based violence (e.g. the role of social norms in perpetuating victim-blaming) and equipped with knowledge in conducting investigations in a gender-responsive and trauma-informed way (e.g. understanding trauma and its impact on the brain, on memory and the reporting of abuse).
• The anonymity of victims/survivors and witnesses should be maintained to the greatest extent possible when reporting on investigations.
• Ensure that the burden of following the correct steps and procedures does not fall solely on the victims/survivors and bystanders. It is the responsibility of the institution to provide clear guidance, support, and resources to facilitate the reporting and investigation process – for example, by appointing a qualified case manager.

Provision of services

• Staff members of the service should be trained and qualified professionals, able to offer support and guidance and respond to the needs of survivors with sensitivity and understanding. It is paramount that their approach is trauma-informed and victim-centred. Any personal information about the service users is to be treated confidentially.

• In a training session, it is important to ensure that participants feel comfortable, respected and supported throughout the training, preventing re-traumatising and triggering of the participants.
  Read through the UniSAFE guide: Creating a safe space for discussion and dialogue in a training session on gender-based violence (online & offline) for further information!

What comes to your mind when you think about the word gender-based violence? Sexual harassment or violence? How about psychological violence based on gender? Online violence? Economical, physical, or organisational violence based on gender? According to the Council of Europe, gender-based violence (GBV) is considered “any type of harm that is perpetrated against a person or group of people because of their factual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation and/or gender identity”. Gender-based violence occurs in both private and public spheres, and higher education and research institutions are not an exception.

Gender-based violence, a continuum

Gender-based violence is also understood and conceptualised as a continuum whereby seemingly ‘innocent’ or ‘mild’ forms of misconduct when not addressed tend to gradually escalate into more severe and grave forms of violence. On such a continuum, one can think of inappropriate questions about people’s private lives, comments about one’s looks, ‘unintended’ bodily contact, sexist jokes, manoeuvring victims into unwanted ‘intimate’ encounters, and so forth, up to situations that involve physical and/or sexual violence and even rape. ’Violence’ is in this understanding used as the encompassing term that captures all stages of the continuum. Find out more definitions of gender-based violence here.

Zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence

In order to cultivate an institutional culture in which there is no form of gender discrimination, it is essential that higher education and research institutions do not tolerate any form of gender-based violence.

Because gender-based violence is a continuum, the zero-tolerance approach focuses on capturing the entire spectrum of unacceptable behaviours, starting with and moving on from those instances that are less visible.

In September 2024, the European Commission’s ERA Forum Sub-group on Inclusive Gender Equality published a baseline code of conduct adopting a zero-tolerance approach. In this sense, it considers any instance of gender-based violence as appropriate to address.

Based on a review of existing scholarly debates and insights into the uses of the zero-tolerance approach, the document builds on the following understanding of the Zero-Tolerance approach to counteracting gender-based violence:

1. Clear message:

Zero tolerance sends a clear message that gender-based violence is completely unacceptable at the given institution/in the given area. Such a message can be crucial in creating a culture of coming forward where any form of gender-based violence is regarded as deserving attention, thereby promoting a safer environment built on trust, open communication, accountability, support and resources, and continuous improvement.

2. Strong deterrence:

A zero-tolerance approach can serve as a strong deterrent against gender-based violence, as it ensures that all acts of gender-based violence will be thoroughly investigated and addressed with the sanctions and redress measures that are appropriate to the severity of the abuse.

3. Institutional change:

The deterrence aspect, clear messaging, and accountability can be some of the drivers of institutional change, as adopting a clear stance against gender-based violence in higher education and research institutions would be a significant rhetorical and practical shift from the current state of institutional culture at many institutions.

4. Clarity of intent:

The concept of ‘zero tolerance’ clearly characterises the intent and stance of the institutions in question. It represents a feasible goal, as a zero-tolerance stance does not imply the absolute eradication of gender-based violence, unlike, for example, the phrase ‘ending gender-based violence’, and instead it makes it clear that such behaviour will not be tolerated, meaning that every act of gender-based violence will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

5. Focus on rehabilitation:

In line with the institutional change approach, the focus must also be on rehabilitation and institutional healing.

To summarise:

• A zero-tolerance approach sends a clear message that gender-based violence is completely unacceptable at the given institution/in the given area.
• This approach can serve as a strong deterrent against gender-based violence, as it ensures that all acts of this behaviour will be investigated and addressed with the sanctions.
• In line with the institutional change approach, the focus must also be on rehabilitation and institutional healing.

Better understanding zero-tolerance policies

Zero-tolerance policies are not completely new – they have been discussed since the early 1990s, with varying implementations and criticisms.

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.

Find out more and act now!

Following the call to commit to the principles of EU’s Zero-Tolerance Code of Conduct, over a hundred individuals and a dozen higher education and research organisations have taken the pledge.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the 16 days of activism, GenderSAFE and GENDERACTIONplus are bring attention to the critical need for advancing zero tolerance, providing concrete recommendations, and spotlighting institutions who have already committed to take action by taking the pledge for a zero-tolerance approach.

We would love to hear your story!

We are calling on all signatory organisations to share some words or lines about WHY you have taken the pledge and WHAT actions you are taking or intending to taking to address gender-based violence with a zero-tolerance approach.

Please send us your contribution to communication[at]gendersafe.eu:

• As a text format: 300 words minimum
• As a video format (120 seconds maximum)

Responding to the following questions:

• What is the specific context of your organisation?
• Why has your organisation taken this pledge? / Why do you consider it important to take a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence?
• Could you give us an example of an action that your organisation has already taken or is planning to take, to address gender-based violence with a zero-tolerance approach?

Many thanks!

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November and the 16 days of activism that follow, the GenderSAFE and GENDERACTIONplus projects are launching a joint campaign to urge higher education and research institutions to take definitive action against gender-based violence.

We urge our institutions to take definitive action against gender-based violence.

Real change begins with commitment. That is why, in this campaign, we will bring attention to the critical need for advancing zero tolerance, providing concrete recommendations, and spotlighting institutions who have already committed to take action by taking the pledge for a zero-tolerance approach.

Why is a zero-tolerance approach important?

Nearly 62% of respondents in the UniSAFE survey reported experiences of gender-based violence, but 93% students and 77% staff disclosed not considering the behaviour serious enough to report, not recognising the behaviour as violence at the time of the incident, or not thinking that anything would happen if they reported it. Despite institutional advances, policies against gender-based violence generally lack effectiveness, are poorly designed and implemented, and rarely monitored and evaluated (Huck et al. 2022; Pilinkaite Sotirovic & Blazyte 2022; Linková et al. 2023; Ranea-Triviño et al. 2022).

A zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence ensures institutions take clear, decisive steps to prevent violence, support victims, and build trust in their policies, setting the foundation for effective prevention, support, and cultural change.

Join us in advocating for zero tolerance and accountability against gender-based violence in academia. Together, we can build a culture that supports every voice and fosters genuine equality!

Join the campaign!

We are encouraging all individuals, related initiatives, EU-funded projects, organisations, to promote a zero tolerance approach to gender-based violence during these 16 days of activism. We have a set of visual cards that you can freely copy, edit with your own logo, and publish along with your own message. Engage with us on LinkedIn on the GenderSAFE and GENDERACTIONplus channels, as we share further information, news, concrete recommendations, and testimonials about adopting a zero-tolerance approach. Finally, if you have already taken the pledge for a zero-tolerance approach as an organisation, we’d love to share your story on why you have pledged and what actions you have planned!