Chair: Charlotte Long
Panel: Belle Lim (CISA Women’s Officer), Prof Eileen Baldry (UNSW DVC Equity Diversity and Inclusion), Karen Willis (Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia), Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate (NSW police), Renee Hamilton (Policy Director of Safety and Wellbeing, Universities Australia)
Sexual Harassment and Assault are issues faced by all students, international students included, and have a profound and often devastating impact on students and their study environments. The launch of the Respect. Now. Always. Campaign across the university sector, #MeToo and the change to Standard 5 of the National Code have all opened the space at educational providers for awareness raising and meaningful action. The panel will discuss the international student experience of sexual misconduct and student and institutional collaborations and responses. The panel will explore the priorities that have been set, examples of best practice that can be shared across the sector and how to maintain momentum in addressing the work that remains so that this important focus continues.
Biographies:
Eileen Baldry (BA, DipEd, MWP, PhD, FASSA) is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Equity Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of Criminology at UNSW Sydney. Professor Baldry has held senior positions in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, serving as Interim Dean, Associate Dean Education and Deputy Dean and is appointed the first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor at UNSW.
Professor Baldry has taught social policy, social development and criminology over the past 30 years. Her research and publications focus on social justice and include mental health and cognitive disability in the criminal justice system; criminalised women and Indigenous Australian women and youth; education, training and employment for prisoners and ex-prisoners; homelessness and transition from prison; Indigenous justice; Indigenous social work; community development and social housing; and disability services.
Professor Baldry has been and is a Chief Investigator on the Australian Research Council (ARC), NH&MRC, AHURI and other grants over the past 25 years. She has been involved in a voluntary capacity with a number of development and justice community organisations and is currently a Director on the Board of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
Professor Baldry serves as Deputy Chair of the Disability Council NSW; whose role is to monitor the implementation of Government policy and advise the Minister and public authorities on emerging issues relating to people with disability.
Professor Baldry was awarded the NSW Justice Medal in 2009 and in 2016 was named in the AFR/Westpac 100 most influential women in Australia.
Dr Renee Hamilton is the Policy Director of Safety and Wellbeing in Universities Australia, where she leads the sector-wide Respect. Now. Always. initiative that tackles sexual violence in universities.
Prior to her role in UA, she worked on gender equality policy for the Commonwealth Government. Renee’s academic and professional background is in psychology and she has worked with at-risk children, young people and families.
Belle is the National Women’s Officer of the Council of International Students Australia (CISA), Vice-President of Parkville Postgraduate Association (PPA) and a campus representative of Monash Postgraduate Association. She is undertaking a PhD at Monash University/Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Cancer Genetics Lab) focusing on the discovery of novel genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Through her role in CISA, she represents all tertiary female international students in Australia by lobbying change to address key issues and delivering projects that promote the welfare of students.
Detective Superintendent Dengate is in his 32nd year in the NSW Police Force. He is the Commander of the Major Event and Emergency Management Command. He has the State Planning Unit, Emergency Management Unit and the Mounted Unit (horses) reporting to him. Detective Superintendent Dengate has worked in both rural and metropolitan commands with experience within numerous areas of Policing including Criminal Investigations, Undercover Drug investigations, high risk incidents and was also a hostage negotiator.
For the past 7 years Det. Superintendent Dengate has been the sponsor for the safety and wellbeing of international students. This portfolio on behalf of the Commissioner ensures that the NSW Police Force is fully committed to addressing the safety and wellbeing needs of international students by being proactive and seeking out to engage with students so that they know that the NSW Police Force are here to help them in any way they can. A large number of different programs have been put in place with a number of awards being won recognising the work that the NSW Police has done to build closer and lasting relationships with International Students.
Karen Willis
Karen Willis OAM – Executive Officer, Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia Karen has worked against violence against women for over 30 years, commencing her role with Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia in 2002. Karen is a fearless advocate for women’s rights, and particularly for the rights for those who have experienced sexual 
domestic or family violence to receive the highest standard of professional assistance in their recovery, and full redress for the crimes through the criminal justice system.Karen is a NSW representative to the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence, a member of the NSW Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council and a Board member of Women’s Health NSW.Karen also delivers training on responding to sexual, domestic and family violence and sex and ethics training in collaboration with the University of Western Sydney.