Ei-iE

The 8th Education International (EI) World Congress meeting in Bangkok from 21st to 26th July 2019:

(1) Notes that the priorities of the Education International Gender Equality Action Plan are on: 1) promoting gender equality within unions; 2) promoting girls’ access to and participation in quality public education; and 3) promoting women’s economic empowerment;

(2) Recalls the Resolution on School Related Gender Based Violence adopted by the 7th World Congress in 2015 that addresses school-based sexual harassment and sexual violence;

(3) Notes that sexual harassment and sexual violence persist in education unions;

(4) Highlights that whereas the international movement against sexual harassment and sexual violence has made plain that sexual harassment is highly prevalent across professional sectors, in public and private domains, and within civil society, including trade unions;

(5) And Whereas young women in particular are targets of sexual harassment and sexual violence and experience long-term impacts on their sense of self-worth, their well-being and their professional status;

(6) And Whereas many nations lack legislation or measures to protect people from sexual harassment and sexual violence, which has an intersectional impact through race and ethnicity, economic status, sexual orientation and gender identity and other factors;

(7) And Whereas Education International’s member organisations may lack policies and procedures to protect their members from sexual harassment and sexual violence that may occur within their organisations;

(8) And Whereas member organisations may require assistance in developing necessary materials and processes to address these challenges;

(9) Mandates the Executive Board to:

(i) Develop policy and process guidelines to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence that member organisations can use to develop their own organisational policies and processes to prevent sexual harassment in their organisations and unions;

(ii) Promote the EI Statement on Safety and Respect that member organisations may adopt and include as a regular part of their proceedings at meetings, events and activities;

(iii) Develop lobbying materials, talking points and other resources to assist member organisations in lobbying their national governments to enact and enforce legislation to protect citizens from all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence.