FemIDEAS: Transforming Theory, Policy, and Practice to Decolonise Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) within Higher Education (HE) is a global issue that requires urgent attention. By centring the experiences of survivors and prioritising prevention and cultural change, this research aims to decolonise understandings of SGBV in HE, drawing on lessons from institutional practices and feminist struggles in the Global South. The overarching vision is to develop new, inclusive, and survivor-centred approaches for preventing and responding to SGBV in HE through a programme of research that is empirically grounded, methodologically innovative, and theoretically informed. Finally, this research bridges the gap between theory, policy, and practice by integrating insights from survivors, activists, academics, and policymakers across South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, and Argentina. The next phase of FLF funding will build on the foundation of the research conducted so far by advancing innovative and decolonial theoretical knowledge, policies and practices to address and prevent SGBV in HE. Emergent findings from the study reveal a systemic failure of due process, with inadequate reporting mechanisms, policy frameworks and support structures, alongside pervasive cultures of sexism, racism, and queerphobia. Participants in this study emphasised the urgent need for an intersectional approach to addressing and preventing SGBV in universities, recognising the role of multiple axes of power, including race, class, sexuality, and religion. They also advocated for shifting beyond individualised understandings of SGBV, instead framing it as a collective, structural issue that requires systemic and cultural transformation through collective action and accountability. The next phase will aim to address these critical gaps, using findings from four fieldwork sites to advance theory-building on SGBV in HE. Drawing on and integrating insights from gender studies, feminist geography, media studies, and public health, this ambitious and timely study will offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to tackling SGBV in HE through theory, policy, and practice. Findings thus far also indicate that survivors of SGBV in universities seek accountability, justice, and healing; however, existing university mechanisms fail to provide these outcomes. Few HE institutions have processes to address SGBV effectively, and where mechanisms do exist, they are often misaligned with survivor needs. Several participants indicated that they do not seek punitive action against perpetrators. However, there is very little literature and data available on how university policies and practices can meet the needs of survivors. In the next funding phase, to address this gap in knowledge identified by the study, a series of ten interviews and focus groups will be conducted to generate data on transformative justice (TJ) practices for addressing SGBV in universities, with a focus on prevention and accountability rather than criminalisation. This research will not only lead to the development of novel ways of understanding and addressing SGBV within HE but also extend the understanding of TJ practices. The final three years of the study will focus on consolidating the study’s findings into an accessible policy and practice toolkit, ensuring that the theoretical knowledge generated translates into tangible institutional change. A key gap identified by the study is the lack of policies and practices informed by theoretical interventions and centred on the narratives of those with lived experience. This toolkit directly addresses that gap. Crucially, it will provide a survivor-centred, trauma-informed foundation for developing policies and practices that foster safer and more inclusive university spaces.