Beyond compliance: transformative co-design for gender-based violence prevention in higher education

This study examines how university staff and students experience transformative learning through voluntary participation in a gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programme that transcended compliance-oriented approaches. While universities increasingly rely on mandatory modules that fail to create sustainable change, this research investigates whether self-nominated participation and co-design pedagogy can foster genuine transformation and voice development among participants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. A qualitative multi-method design examined eight university students (aged 18–24) at an Australian university through pre-post focus groups, observational field notes, and artefact analysis. Participants voluntarily engaged in workshops co-designing peer-focused social media prevention messaging. Inductive thematic analysis identified patterns across experiential, behavioural, and creative data sources. Participants demonstrated profound transformations across four domains: knowledge (from surface recognition to systemic understanding), attitudes (from neutrality to active responsibility), confidence (from hesitation to strategic communication), and professional integration. The co-design process enabled critical consciousness development through authentic project-based learning, diverse peer collaboration, and critical reflection that compliance training cannot achieve. This research provides empirical evidence that transformative, participatory approaches to GBV education can catalyse meaningful personal and professional transformation. The findings inform institutional strategies prioritising cultural change over compliance, offering a replicable model for developing prevention agents rather than passive recipients of mandatory training.