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A not-for-profit on a mission to eradicate normalised sexual violence

In February 2021, Chanel Contos posted an Instagram story.

She asked her followers if they or someone close to them had been sexually assaulted by someone when they were at school. Within 24 hours, over 200 people replied ‘yes’.

Overwhelmed, but unsurprised by the response, Chanel launched a petition calling for more holistic and earlier consent education in Australia, as well as teachusconsent.com, a platform where people could share anonymous testimonies of sexual assault.

The petition, which gathered over 44,000 signatures, and a further 6,600 personal stories of sexual assault were presented to MPs around the country to advocate for this critical education to be included in the Australian national curriculum.

What we've achieved

February 2021

Petition Launched

The Teach Us Consent website launches following an influx of support for the campaign, with 44,000 people signing the petition to mandate consent education in the Australian National Curriculum.

March 2021

Operation Vest launches

Chanel and NSW Police launch Operation Vest to encourage informal reporting of sexual assault. This sees an unprecedented 54% month-on-month increase in the reporting of sexual assault in NSW.

April 2021

VIC mandates consent education

Teach Us Consent begins working with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to update and incorporate consent education nation-wide, while Victoria announces its state-wide mandate.

April 2021

Petition triggers debate

The petition hosted on the NSW Parliament triggers a debate, which results in unanimous agreement for improved consent education in NSW.

July 2021

QLD mandates consent education

Following a meeting with Chanel Contos in March, QLD Education Minister Grace Grace and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announce that consent education will be mandatory from the age of 10 in QLD.

September 2021

Consent Roundtable hosted

Teach Us Consent hosts a Roundtable event to discuss mandated consent education that is attended by several of the country’s most influential education and human rights stakeholders as well as youth victim-survivors of sexual assault.

February 2022

Consent Education is mandated

Teach Us Consent presents at a meeting of the Ministers of Education. It is here that they unanimously agree to mandate consent education in the National Curriculum.

March 2022

School survey promised

The government gives $5 million to The Human Rights Commission to undertake a school survey as an action from Chanel meeting with then Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Teach Us Consent becomes a senior advisor on the project.

July 2022

Stealthing Roundtable hosted

Teach Us Consent hosts a roundtable about the criminalisation of stealthing, which is the non-consensual removal of a condom, or the failure to put one on when having previously agreed to. This is attended by Attorney Generals, Shadow Attorney Generals, key stakeholders, and victim-survivors who share their stories.

December 2022

QLD & SA criminalise stealthing

Following Teach Us Consent’s advocacy, the Attorneys Generals of QLD & SA criminalise stealthing in December ‘22 and March ‘23 respectively. WA remains the only jurisdiction to not have made stealthing an offence.

“This is a vital discussion at exactly the right time… I wholeheartedly endorse the need to Teach Us Consent”
Julia Gillard
"If we introduce mandatory, explicit consent education throughout the schooling years, hundreds of thousands of young people will be saved from sexual assault. It’s as simple as that."
Hayley Foster
CEO Full Stop Australia
“Consent education has been mandated in all Australian schools, a landmark decision after a year of extensive public pressure.”
Savannah Meacham
9 News
“It’s a form of rape that is not understood by our society as rape and, because of ingrained male sexual entitlement, it occurs at an unknown scale without accountability…”
Chanel Contos
for Marie Claire
"I didn't know sexual assault could look like somebody's pushing you and pushing you and pushing you until you change your mind.”
Neelima Choahan
ABC
Discover media features

In February 2022, we did it.

Ministers of Education from around Australia unanimously committed to mandating holistic and age appropriate consent education in every school, every year, from foundation until Year 10, beginning in 2023.

This monumental change was made possible because of the tens of thousands of voices that supported this movement, the countless hours of volunteer support, and the foundation laid before by pioneering activists in this space.

Teach Us Consent continues to lobby for and provide holistic consent and sexuality education.

Our work spans partnering with organisations to refine and improve their safety, consent and respectful relationships mechanisms, campaigning in Australia and internationally for mandatory consent education in all pockets of society, and continuing to drive cultural change through effective education on social media.

Partner with us

Help our youth-led not-for-profit create crucial cultural change

Through funding, we will be able to expand Teach Us Consent to achieve:

Donate

Educational Reform

We believe in creating a world where future generations understand the concept of consent, and are empowered with knowledge, empathy and respect. Your donations enable us to reform educational curricula, integrating earlier and more holistic age-appropriate consent education.

Early Intervention

Teachers are on the front lines of education and development. Through your donations, Teach Us Consent can develop comprehensive training programs for educators, equipping them with knowledge and tools to incorporate the fundamentals and nuances of consent into everyday teaching. This further promotes ongoing dialogue about consent and respect beyond the classroom.

Media & Advocacy

Your contributions support cross-media campaigns to lobby governments and raise awareness of the prevalence of rape culture. Teach Us Consent creates impactful campaigns, educational materials, and advocacy initiatives that spread awareness about the importance of consent. By amplifying our message through various media channels, we aim to shift public perception and encourage positive social change.

Build Partnerships

Help us build partnerships with educational institutions, relevant private sector groups, NGOs, community organisations, government, and policy-makers. These collaborations are fundamental in implementing effective consent education and support systems to result in long-lasting positive change. Together, we can create a broad network of organisations and individuals working toward a common goal to demolish rape culture.

Donate to Teach us consent