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At the 61st Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, female education union leaders reasserted their solidarity with their sisters in Arab countries, with a specific focus on Bahrain.

Delegates to the 61st Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) heard the harrowing tale of one union leader’s experiences with the authorities. Jalila al-Salman, Vice-President of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association (BTA), outlined her challenging journey as a woman and union leader at a session organised by the Education International (EI) delegation on 12 March in New York, USA.

Al-Salman, an EI delegate to the UNCSW61, told how she and many of the union's leadership were arrested in 2011, including all of BTA’s board members and BTA President Mahdi Abu Dheeb. The arrests occurred after the union held a strike and took part in peaceful protests. Sentenced to prison by the military court, both al-Salman and Abu Dheeb were tortured in detention, as well as being verbally and psychologically abused.

Deteriorating public education

As well as her own circumstances, Al-Salman also described how the quality of public education deteriorated significantly after the Bahraini government hired thousands of unqualified volunteers to replace the striking teachers.

Asked about the most appropriate ways to support teachers in her country, she urged participants to raise the situation whenever possible with their governments or Bahraini consulates and embassies.

EI: Share stories in solidarity

In support of Al-Salman and her colleagues, EI Deputy Secretary General Haldis Holst emphasised “the importance of raising the voices of Arabic female teachers, especially since the majority of teachers in many of those countries are women”. She also encouraged members of the EI delegation to UNCSW61 to share their stories in solidarity, which will raise awareness and lead to progressive change.