Ei-iE

Iraq: education union promotes internal democracy and gender equity and fights climate change

Democracy Equity and inclusion Trade union rights are human rights Leading the profession Climate action and literacy Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 Union growth Advancing gender equality in and through education Trade union rights
published 9 October 2019 updated 4 March 2022

In preparation for next year’s conference of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Union (KTU), an extended meeting of the KTU Executive Committee was convened, underlining the issues of democracy, gender equality and action against climate change.

The meeting gathered over 50 leaders of the organisation in the trade union headquarters in Erbil, Iraq, and highlighted the following issues:

  • The importance of the electoral system, acknowledged as an crucial basis for democracy, and ways to improve it in preparation for the elections at the 13th conference of the education union in 2020.
  • Increase women’s role and profile in the conference, demonstrating that gender equality is a key principle in the field of education and within the organisation.
  • Increase the number of academics to at least 10% of delegates at the conference.
  • Democracy, social justice, gender equality, the environment, children’s rights and human rights are to be the key themes debated at the conference.
  • As a follow-up to the Climate Action Week (20-27 September) and to continue the fight against climate change, KTU leaders highlighted the importance of cooperating with Kurdistan’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to set up a joint programme on the topic. The aim is to ensure that the impact of climate change is taught in education settings in the future.

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