Ei-iE

Since the start of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, education unions have been pragmatic and quick to respond to the rapid changes brought about by the global health crisis. Thus, it is important for education unions to review the work done to engage with members since the onset of the pandemic through an intersectional gender lens and, from these experiences, to harvest learning that will inform building on progress to increase gender equality within unions.

There are important lessons for education unions to document and learn from, as countries move forward into a (post) Covid-19 ‘new normal’. This research considered the lessons learned over the last two years (2020-2022), and how they can be applied to further increase and strengthen women’s participation, voice, and leadership within education unions, especially in a ‘post-pandemic’ world.

The purpose of the research was to investigate and analyse:

• Women’s lived experiences of union engagement, participation and leadership 2020-2022);
• The effectiveness of education unions’ efforts and strategies to organize and engage members; recruit new members; and to advance women’s union engagement, participation, and leadership through the use of online technologies 2020-2022.