Ei-iE

On 19 July, the LGBTI rights’ caucus, prior the 8th Education International (EI) World Congress in Bangkok, brought together union leaders from around the world. Recalling that all forms of equality are union business, the two thematic discussions focussed on: “Make No Assumptions: Building Support for LGBTI Rights within Education Unions” and “Understanding Intersectionality and how it Applies to LGBTI Rights in and through Education”.

Panellists examined the interconnected nature of discrimination and its impact on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The caucus was also an opportunity to hold cross-regional and cross-sectoral conversations on innovative and interactive education union programmes on LGBTI rights, and efforts to build alliances both within and outside of the union movement.

EI/PSI LGBTI Forum

For more than a decade, Public Services International (PSI) and EI have worked jointly to advance LGBT equality.  At the 5th EI/PSI Forum on LGBTI Rights, held on 19th July in the afternoon following on from the EI caucus, participants interacted and exchanged good practice on how education and public sector unions are tackling bullying, harassment and violence on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in the world of work. Unions also took the opportunity to review strategies about working together for the ratification and implementation of the new ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment.