March 2026
Safer Sport Starts Here: Toolkit Launched!
We’re proud to share the launch of Safe to Speak, Bound to Act — a practical new toolkit designed to support safer, more effective responses to gender-based violence in Australian sport.
The toolkit is grounded in research examining what happens when women and gender-diverse people disclose experiences of violence within sporting environments. The findings were confronting. Reporting systems were often unclear and inconsistent, with processes originally designed for integrity breaches, such as doping or match-fixing, expected to manage complex experiences of trauma and harm. Participants described these systems as not fit for purpose — and, in some cases, retraumatising.
Women and gender-diverse people spoke of being disbelieved, minimised, or quietly pushed out of sport altogether. At the same time, policy and integrity staff described receiving disclosures without adequate training, guidance, or structural support, and the significant emotional toll this work can take.
In response, the research team developed Safe to Speak, Bound to Act as a practical, accessible resource to help sporting organisations move beyond compliance-driven and reputation-focused approaches. The toolkit provides clear guidance, conversation scripts, and real-world advice to support trauma-informed, survivor-centred responses when disclosures occur. Its recommendations are grounded directly in what participants said was helpful — and what caused further harm.
This research was supported by the IOC Olympic Studies Centre and delivered with a fantastic group of researchers. It was led by ReGEN's own A/Prof Kirsty Forsdike with Dr. Samantha Marshall, with the team including Dr. Natalie Galea from the University of Sydney, and A/Prof Mary Woessner and Dr. Aurélie Pankowiak from Victoria University.
While there is no single solution to addressing gender-based violence in sport, Safe to Speak, Bound to Act offers a meaningful and practical starting point for organisations committed to safer sporting environments.
International Women’s Day 2026 & the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women
IWD this year was celebrated in Australia on March 4 and internationally will be celebrated on March 8. The official UN Campaign serves to promote gender equality globally. This year's international theme is Rights. Justice. Action focused on equal legal rights and reform. More here.
ReGEN Monthly Meeting
Date: Thursday 26 March 2026
Time: 12.30pm AEDT
Catherine joined the Department of Sociology at Durham University as Professor of Sociology in 2018,
Her current research focuses on LGBT+ domestic abuse victim/survivors; the use of violent and abusive behaviours by LGBT+ people within intimate relationships; the role of love in understanding and addressing domestic violence and abuse; hate crime, hate incidents, and hate relationships; and sexual violence in universities.
Can a Focus on Identity Abuse Help Create More Inclusive Domestic Abuse Responses to Those Who Are LGBT+?
Intersectional feminism reveals how systems like patriarchy, colonialism, capitalism and nationalism create the conditions in which domestic abuse occurs. These structures mean many minoritised people experience abuse with limited accountability for those who cause harm, and their experiences are often minimised or dismissed by support systems shaped by victim‑blaming norms and narrow ideas of the “ideal victim.” For LGBT+ people, dominant cis‑heteronormative narratives of domestic abuse further obscure their experiences.
In this presentation, Dr Catherine Donovan argues for recognising identity abuse within definitions of domestic abuse. Abusive partners or family members often weaponise aspects of a victim’s gender, sexuality, race or other identities—tapping into broader societal prejudices—to undermine their sense of self. While some elements of domestic abuse are shared across groups, intersecting identities shape how abuse is experienced and how institutions respond. Including identity abuse in formal definitions would help illuminate these dynamics and guide more inclusive, effective responses for LGBT+ victim‑survivors.
Access our brand new website with more information about the ReGEN Network here.
Opportunities
🚨Job opportunities
PhD scholarship Opportunity: The Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group are seeking a PhD candidate for a fully funded doctoral project scholarship. The successful PhD candidate will conduct research that complements and informs the work of an Australian Research Council Discovery Project, “Creating Safer Sport Communities from Rural to Urban Australia” (Safer Sport Project). Please read the PhD Scholarship details and review and confirm your La Trobe University PhD eligibility requirements before contacting Associate Professor Kirsty Forsdike (see application process).
🚨 Research Participation Opportunities
Join The Line’s Content Creator Hub
The Line is currently looking for youth content creators.
The Line is a long-term campaign helping young people (aged 14-20 years) in Australia understand what’s ok and what’s not when it comes to sex, dating and relationships.
Applications close on Sunday 8th March
📢 Professional Development / Short Courses
Building GBV Evidence: The Building GBV Evidence capacity-building training is based on Global Women Institute’s Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Manual. This self-paced virtual course includes video lectures, case studies (including examples from GWI’s previous PRM-funded GBV research), quizzes and short assignment.
Events
🥁INTERNAL EVENTS
Challenging Heteronormativity in Family Domestic and Sexual Violence Policy
March 19 2026 | 3pm - 6pm with networking refreshments 6pm - 7pm
La Trobe University City Campus
A half-day forum bringing together leading researchers, practitioners, and policy experts in queer family, domestic and sexual violence. The program will feature speakers from Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS), including Rainbow Health Australia (RHA), Zoe Belle Gender Collective (ZBGC), La Trobe’s Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group (ReGEN).
Register here
🥁EXTERNAL EVENTS
Unlocking More Philanthropic Funding to End Childhood Sexual Violence
March 11 | 3:00pmSAST:
In this webinar, Safe Childhoods Initiative will present the recently created initiative and offer an overview of the strategy, approach and plan for 2026 to its members.
Register here
Contact us with you're upcoming events @ regen.network@latrobe.edu.au
Publications and Resources
📢Conferences & Call for Abstracts
PreventX Conference by Safe + Equal - PreventX is Australia’s leading conference on the prevention of family and gender-based violence, bringing together practitioners to reflect, connect and explore how storytelling can drive meaningful and lasting change.
Two-day in-person conference, Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 March 2026, 9:30am – 5pm. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Advance tickets are on sale now!
2026 Asia Pacific Coercive Control & Children Conference
Roundhouse at UNSW March 17-19
This three-day gathering will unite hundreds of practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates from across the Asia Pacific region. More info here.
Women Deliver 2026 Conference in Narrm (Melbourne), Australia from 27–30 April 2026 — a bold, inclusive gathering of more than 6,500 advocates from across feminist, grassroots, First Nations, youth-led, LGBTQIA+, and women’s rights movements, alongside world leaders, creatives, private sector changemakers, academics, and media. Accepting submissions. More info here.
Gender-Based Violence and Climate Change Workshop 23-24 July 2026 - Hosted by CEVAW and the Center for Security and Peace Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, this workshop invites novel multidisciplinary contributions on the topics gender-based violence and climate change, with research in one or more location/country across the Indo-Pacific (including Asia, the Pacific, and Oceania).
Call for Papers Closes 3 April
SVRI: Where research, collaboration, and innovation converge.
The largest and most influential global gathering dedicated to research on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of gender-based violence, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. 5 - 9 October 2026 - Bangkok, Thailand
More info here.
Children by Choice Reproductive Rights & Abortion Conference Save the Date
Brisbane, QLD on 3–5 September 2026.
Sign up to receive conference announcements and be the first to know when registrations open!
📢Call for Papers
Perils, pitfalls, and potential data (systems) for evidence on diverse forms of Violence Against Women &
Girls
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a global challenge. Every number, definition and dataset tells a story about who and what we see – and who and what we don’t.
The Special Issue with 𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑊𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 is exploring the messy, powerful space of data and the systems shaping our ability to see, name and take action on VAWG across the world.
𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀: definitions, operationalization, data quality, power dynamics, global perspectives.
Deadline for Abstract Submission March 15, 2026
Submit to hello@civah.org
Call for papers: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: Frontline Healthcare Responses: The Sage VAW Journal Special Issue invites interdisciplinary, equity-centred research addressing healthcare responses to TFGBV, including clinical practice, community health, policy and survivor pathways. If you’d like to submit your work, email a 300-word abstract to cerc.healthwellbeing@torontomu.ca by 30 April 2026.
Call for papers: Violence and Harassment: Redefining the World of Work: The Journal of Industrial Relations has issued a call for papers for their Special Issue on “Violence and Harassment: Redefining the World of Work”. Papers may address a range of topics and themes concerning gender-based violence and harassment (including technology-facilitated abuse) in the context of the workplace, organisational, system-level and regulatory responses. The abstract submission deadline is 15 July 2026. Submit here
Publications & Media
📑Publications
Vrankovich, S., Burns, S., Woodley, G., & Hendriks, J. (2025). Addressing ‘wicked complex problems’: Qualitative understandings of sexual violence prevention in male-dominated industries. Global Public
Health, 20(1). This research aims to provide an understanding of current sexual violence prevention initiatives within the Australian mining sector, offering recommendations for future approaches tailored to industries and contexts with similar dynamics.
Vrankovich, S., Hamilton, G., & Powell, A. (2025). Young adult perspectives on sexuality education in Australia: implications for sexual violence primary prevention. Sex Education, 25(5), 615–630. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to qualitatively investigate 20 young adults’ (aged 18–30) experiences and perceptions of Australian sexuality education.
Taylor, T., Hanlon, C., Marshall, S., & O’Brien, W. (2026). Disability first and foremost: facilitators of sport organisation change. Sport in Society, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2026.2629402
Zoe Belle Gender Collective (ZBGC) & Women's Health In the North (WHIN) are excited to share their new resource Allyship In Action: Frameworks for trans and gender diverse inclusion in prevention of gender-based violence initiatives. Among others Rainbow Health Australia at La Trobe were involved.
Have you had any articles come out? Please send them to Hanorah regen.network@latrobe.edu.au for the following newsletter.
📺Media
🎉Congratulations to our very own Dr Freda Haylett who was highlighted on La Trobe's Staff Spotlight
🎧 Listen in to A/Prof Kirsty Forsdike on ABC Morning, talking all GBV in sport. Listen here.
Support Services
Safer Community: Provides expert advice and information for LTU staff and students. Website: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/students/support/wellbeing/services/safer-community
Tel: (03) 9479 8988
Staff Health and Wellbeing: Provides a confidential information, support and referral service to staff. Email: staff.wellbeing@latrobe.edu.au or complete a referral form on the Staff Wellbeing Connect intranet
page.
Employee Assistance Program: Free and confidential, short-term support program for a wide variety of work-related and personal problems.
Website: LTU Staff Intranet Tel: 1300 687 327
1800RESPECT: National sexual assault, domestic, family violence counselling service. Website: www.1800respect.org.au Tel: 1800 737 732
Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre: Victoria’s family violence support service. Website: www.safesteps.org.au Tel: 1800 015 188
Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL): State-wide, after-hours, confidential, telephone crisis counselling service for people who have experienced both past and recent sexual assault. Website: www.sacl.com.au Tel: 1800 806 292
Djirra: Djirra is a place where culture is shared and celebrated, and where practical support is available to all Aboriginal women and particularly to Aboriginal people who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past.
Website: www.djirra.org.au Tel: 1800 105 3030
13YARN: One-on-one yarning opportunity with a Lifeline-trained Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter who can provide crisis support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
QLife: Counselling for LGBTIQ people, by LGBTIQ people
Website: www.qlife.org.au Tel: 1800 184 527
inTouch: Multicultural centre against family violence
Website: www.intouch.org.au Tel: 1800 755 988
Men's Referral Service: A national counselling, information and referral service for men who use family and domestic violence. If you are concerned about your behaviour, or about someone using violence, call Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit mrs.org.au
Brother to Brother: Provides phone support for Aboriginal men who need someone to talk to about relationship issues, family violence, parenting, drug and alcohol issues or who are struggling to cope for other reasons. Staffed by Aboriginal men, including Elders, who have a lived experience in the issues that the line offers support for. 1800 435 799 Brother to Brother Crisis Line - Dardi Munwurro
*Please note, if there is a possibility someone is monitoring your internet use, make sure you clear your browser history after looking at any of these pages.*
