Over the past fifty years, there has been significant changes in how sexual harm and sexual rights are understood. However, despite these changes, sexual victimisation remains a common life event, and most survivors still do not report to authorities.

With governments and the public looking for innovative solutions, our project, supported by the Australian Research Council, offers a timely intervention.

We are examining the evolution of how we have conceptualised and responded to sexual harm, as well as the acknowledgement and safeguarding of sexual rights in contemporary Australian history. We aim to understand how this history of reform shapes victims' perceptions and responses to sexual violence.

Acknowledging and learning from our past experiences is essential for evaluating good practices for designing new, responsive approaches that meet survivors' rights and needs.