Launch Event: Consent Matters - a primary prevention program by Sexual Health Victoria and Women's Health in the South East

Sexual Health Victoria (SHV) and Women’s Health in the South East (WHISE) are delighted to invite you to the launch of our evaluation report, detailing the success and key findings of our grant-funded pilot program, Consent Matters.  

In 2022, the Victorian government passed the Justice Legislation Amendment (Sexual Offences and Other Matters) Bill, a landmark legislation introducing an affirmative consent framework aimed at enhancing protections for victim-survivors of sexual offences.  These reforms were supported by community-based educational initiatives funded through the Victorian Budget 2022-23, including the Consent Matters project led by SHV and WHISE.  

Our pilot program aimed to address gaps in relationships and sexuality education for young people outside mainstream educational settings, by building the knowledge, skills and confidence of youth and community service professionals, to educate at-risk young people on consent, sex, and relationships, and provide referrals to support services where applicable.  

The program, designed in consultation with young people and youth and community service agencies, included two online modules and one six-hour interactive workshop. We delivered this program with three pilot groups in collaboration with the City of Greater Dandenong, Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, and the City of Stonnington.  

Consent Matters not only improved participants’ knowledge and confidence to talk with and educate young people about consent, sex and relationships, thus enabling them to access resources and support, but also supported participants to deliver capacity-building to other professionals, or directly to young people themselves.  

The success of this pilot project is expected to pave the way for expanded program funding and adaptation for diverse community needs, underscoring its role as a preventative strategy to reduce long-term reliance on support services for youth wellbeing. 

Join us to celebrate the achievements of our pilot program, Consent Matters, and learn more about our program development, key findings from the pilot, and how we hope to apply the learnings to future program delivery.  

At this event, we will formally launch our evaluation report, detailing the findings from our pilot program, and discuss: 

• The context for primary prevention of sexual violence, including community need and social and legislative changes contributing to the development of our program 

• The development of Consent Matters, including the consultation process and evidence base and the delivery of the pilot sessions 

• Key findings from our systematic evaluation 

• Reflections from program participants on their learnings and experiences in implementing the key principles of Consent Matters in diverse settings 

Please note that light breakfast refreshments will be provided. We will endeavor to cater to most dietary requirements but please note that we cannot guarantee specific dietary requirements will be met.  

For more information: 

For more information about the launch, the Consent Matters pilot program, or Sexual Health Victoria, please contact SHV's Head of Education Services, Samantha Read: sread@shv.org.au 

For more information about Women's Health in the South East and the sexual and reproductive health portfolio, please contact the Sexual and Reproductive Health Lead, Laura Riccardi: lriccardi@whise.org.au