Submission Guidelines
This three-day event is dedicated to celebrating progress across primary prevention by exploring Stories for Change that demonstrate how primary prevention activity and messages are shifting attitudes, stereotypes and behaviours, and addressing the gendered drivers of violence. We are also calling for stories that look at what more is needed to expand and sustain the workforce and the work. The conference will cover three sub-themes: people, places and processes.
Safe and Equal are inviting practitioners and organisations to submit an abstract for parallel sessions during the conference. Sessions will run for 75 minutes and use a storytelling approach to share how prevention activity and messages are creating change.
- Submissions are open now and will close: 9am Friday 19 September 2025
- Notification of outcome: 5pm Friday 31 October 2025
Please note: Before you submit, please have everything you need ready because the submission form cannot be saved.
The following guidelines have been developed to assist you with submitting an abstract for PreventX 2026.
Conference theme and related sub-themes
Safe and Equal is inviting abstracts about stories that explicitly speak to the conference theme of Stories for Change, and related sub-themes. We are seeking stories of change that speak about:
People – Primary prevention is work that targets whole of population and takes place where people love, work, learn and play. We invite stories that explore:
- Whose voices are missing from primary prevention work – and whose do we need to amplify?
- How do we uphold and embed self-determination of First Nations people and communities in all we do?
- What does community-led prevention look like and require of us all?
- What knowledge and skills do we need as a workforce now and in the future?
- What does collective care look like in organisations and movements?
Places – Primary prevention is about social and system change occurring across various settings, locations and communities. We invite stories that explore:
- What do place-based interventions look like and how are they working?
- What international practice and research can inform Australian practice?
- What does it look like to recognise and connect with Country in places where prevention is delivered?
- How do we prepare for, adapt and respond to existing and upcoming sites of resistance and backlash?
- How is prevention evolving to meet emerging forms of violence including online and digital spaces?
Processes – How we design, implement, learn and adapt together is foundational if we want our efforts to be coordinated and complementary. We invite stories that explore:
- How might truth telling practices inform and help us grow our prevention practice?
- How is primary prevention being implemented, alongside or as a part of early intervention, response and recovery efforts?
- How do we evaluate and share stories about the impact of our work?
- What does meaningful partnership and co-design in prevention look like?
- What kind of policy and funding models are needed to advance the work in new and transformative ways?
Format suggestions
A 75-minute session for you to deliver a parallel session in a format of your choosing. This could be:
- Panel discussions
- Storytelling session or yarning circle
- Presentation and Q&A
Who should submit
We welcome submissions from practitioners, researchers, community leaders, consultants, or advocates. You do not need to be working in primary prevention to apply, but your submission will need to be relevant to primary prevention to be considered alongside alignment to the conference theme.
By submitting an abstract, you agree that all presenters will attend the conference and deliver their presentation in person.
How to submit
To submit your abstract through our online form you will need to include:
- Title of session
- Presenters/speakers
- Proposed format
- Approximately 300-word (maximum) abstract, highlighting how your session responds to one or more themes and how it is connected to the primary prevention of family and gender-based violence.
- If you require support to submit your abstract, would like to submit in a different format, or to participate as a session presenter/speaker, please reach out to us at prevention@safeandequal.org.au. We will do our best to meet your support needs.
Please have everything ready to submit when you fill out the form as it cannot be saved to return to it later.
Assessment process and criteria
Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of Safe and Equal staff and advisory members drawn from across the prevention movement.
The reviewers will first rate all abstracts against the following criteria and undertake a collective review looking at the conference program as a whole. Overall considerations will be given to representation (of community, marginalised voices), repetition (ensuring no one person or organisation are represented multiple times across multiple sessions) and balance of sub-themes explored.
| A. Relevance to Theme |
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| B. Contribution to prevention knowledge and practice |
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| C. Format and engagement |
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| D. Clarity in abstract and objectives |
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Frequently asked questions
Why the theme of Stories for Change for PreventX2026?
PreventX: Stories for Change is about sharing the stories of primary prevention and how storytelling is a powerful and effective way of creating and demonstrating change. The theme is about recognising and celebrating the range of ways in which primary prevention is practiced and using storytelling to share and inspire for the future. Storytelling as a practice also facilitates change and can be used to surface voices from communities that are not always heard.
Through the art of storytelling, PreventX will tell us about the people, places and processes that are at the core of primary prevention.
Can I submit more than one abstract?
Yes, you can submit multiple abstracts if you have different stories or sub-themes to focus on, but we cannot guarantee multiple abstracts will be accepted. The abstract review process will involve considerations around representation (of community, marginalised voices), repetition (ensuring no one person or organisation are represented multiple times across multiple sessions) and balance of sub-themes explored.
Will my session be livestreamed or recorded?
One of the three parallel sessions in the program will be selected to be livestreamed. When submitting an abstract, we ask if you are comfortable being livestreamed or not. We will then identify which sessions will be livestreamed based on the permissions given.
Do I get a discounted or free ticket?
All presenters will be entitled to the early bird rate of conference registration.
Can I withdraw from presenting after being selected? And if so, can my speaking place be given to someone else?
Yes, you can withdraw, and we understand that things happen! You will still have your purchased ticket to join us at the conference as a delegate. If it is simply a change in presenter within your organisation, reach out to us as soon as you can so we can arrange the transfer of details and tickets accordingly. If you can no longer attend at all, please reach out to us to discuss your options.
Can my presentation be hybrid?
To ensure the best possible experience for in-person attendees, livestream attendees, and presenters, we are asking that all presenters attend in person.
How long does my presentation have to be?
We are calling for submissions for a total of 75 minutes.
