How are women’s voices heard in law reform?

This research project aims to explore how women’s voices are listened and responded to in institutional law and policy reform processes addressing violence against women. It also aims to develop best-practice guidelines on listening to women in law reform and policy development processes addressing violence against women.

Project overview

Despite the volume of advocacy and reform activity in Australia and internationally, there remains a significant gap in research on how victim-survivors are listened to, and how their voices actually influence law and policy outcomes. This is the first comprehensive study in Australia – and internationally – to investigate listening practices in law reform processes. The project will produce best-practice principles and guidelines for how victim-survivors should be listened to in law and policy reform, with the aim of improving both the experience of participants and the quality of reform outcomes.

The project has several components:

• First, it centres Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim-survivors' experiences of listening within law reform and policy processes.
• Second, it investigates case studies of recent examples of institutional law reform processes (such as the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Justice Responses to Sexual Violence Inquiry and the Australian Human Rights Commission's Speaking From Experience Project).
• Third, it explores the use of social media in advocating for law and policy change to better respond to gender-based violence.

This project is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant, and has received approval from the University of Wollongong Human Research Ethics Committee (H2025-1536).

• Professor Nan Seuffert (Lead CI) - University of Wollongong
• Associate Professor Sarah Ailwood - University of Wollongong
• Professor Cassandra Sharp - University of Wollongong
• Associate Professor Jane Wangmann - University of Technology Sydney
• Amanda Morgan – University of Wollongong

We are interested in hearing about people’s experiences in participating in law reform processes that focus on addressing gender-based violence. Gender-based violence includes domestic and family violence, coercive control, sexual violence and sexual harassment. 

Your participation might have involved:

• being on an advisory committee
• writing a submission  
• completing a survey
• giving an oral statement or evidence
• being part of a focus group, roundtable, workshop or consultation, or
• public participation on social media. 

We want to learn about what motivated you to participate in that law reform process, how you experienced that participation, and whether you felt listened to or heard.

Survey

This survey is open to people with lived experience of gender-based violence, and their family and friends, who have participated in a law reform process that seeks to address that harm.

Survey link coming soon.

Interviews

We are also keen to hear from people who have contributed to law reform processes addressing violence against women. If you are interested in meeting with us (in person or online) to talk about your experience contributing to a law reform process, please contact us at listening_project@uow.edu.au