Ei-iE

Jens Kalaene
Jens Kalaene

Equity and inclusion

We defend and promote the principles of equity and equality in education, in education unions and in society. We are fully committed to combating all forms of racism and of bias or discrimination due age, disability, ethnicity or indigeneity, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, language, marital status, migratory status, political activism, religion, socio-economic status, trade union affiliation, among others. We are committed to addressing these forms of discrimination through an intersectional lens, which enables a deeper understanding of the complexities of lived experiences.

I think Education International has a leadership role to play… If we’re going to have a more civil society, a more inclusive society, then we have to model that by including men but women as well, people of different ethnic groups or religious backgrounds. All of us have to be involved and be at the table and have that kind of respect.

Professor Mary Hatwood Futrell, First elected EI President, 1993–2004

Promoting and advancing gender equality has always been an Education International priority. We believe that education can play a key role in empowering women and girls and can contribute to breaking through the cycle of gender discrimination. The Education International Gender Equality Action Plan highlights three main priorities:

  1. Promoting women’s leadership and participation within education unions;
  2. Taking action to increase intersectional gender equality in and through education;
  3. Promoting and securing women’s economic empowerment.

The unequal and gendered impact of the COVID-19 pandemic risks erasing years of progress on equity and inclusion throughout the world. Together with our member organisations, we mobilise to challenge and help dismantle all structures of inequality in education and beyond. As part of this work, we have called for equity audits to be conducted at all levels of education in order to ensure the pandemic does not define the lives of an entire generation of students.

Our work in this area

  1. News 6 March 2006

    EI Statement on the International Women's Day, 8 March 2006 - Public Quality Education to achieve Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

    During the UN Millennium Summit in the year 2000, world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieving equal rights for women and girls by approving Goal 3 on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. It was not the first time that such a pledge had been made.

    EI Statement on the International Women's Day, 8 March 2006 - Public Quality Education to achieve Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
  2. News 3 March 2006

    Global Unions Oral Statement on Migration - 50th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women – 2 March, 2006

    The international trade union organisations welcome the fact that migration has been placed on the Agenda of the 50th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women as an emerging issue. The growing phenomenon of migration is of concern to global unions, represented here by Education International, Public Services...

    Global Unions Oral Statement on Migration - 50th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women – 2 March, 2006
  3. News 2 March 2006

    UK: Gender pay gap is worst in Europe

    EI affiliates in the UK have expressed their opinions following the publication of the Women and Work Commission’s ‘Shaping a Fairer Future’ report which found women earn only 83% of the male hourly rate.

    UK: Gender pay gap is worst in Europe
  4. News 28 February 2006

    Press Release 03/2006 - UN Commission on the Status of Women - CSW50: Encouraging women’s participation in decision making

    Education International (EI) will take part in the discussions of the 50th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW50, New York, 27 February-10 March 2006), which this year will look into mechanisms for improving women’s representation in decision making bodies.

    Press Release 03/2006 - UN Commission on the Status of Women - CSW50: Encouraging women’s participation in decision making
  5. News 13 February 2006

    Australia: WorkersOut! At Mardi gras

    EI affiliate the NTEU is a member of WorkersOut! - a collective of unions and union members who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex (LGBTI) working together to raise the profile and importance of union membership across the LGBTI community.

    Australia: WorkersOut! At Mardi gras
  6. News 7 February 2006

    UK: new challenges facing LGBT teachers

    "With the increasing multicultural nature of western European societies, new obstacles have emerged for the achievement of LGTB rights. We hear of teachers who no longer dare to be open about their sexual orientation, afraid of hostile reactions by students some of whom are driven by religious fanatism," said EI...

    UK: new challenges facing LGBT teachers
  7. News 31 January 2006

    EI letter to the President of Afghanistan

    EI sent a letter to the President of Afghanistan on 26 Jan 2006, urging him to take action on the series of attacks targeting educators in schools where children, especially girls, are studying across Afghanistan. EI released a press statement on the same day, asking the international community to redouble...

    EI letter to the President of Afghanistan
  8. News 31 January 2006

    Press Release 1/2006: Afghanistan - girls’ schooling under threat

    Education International, which represents over 29 million teachers and education workers in the world, a thousand of whom are in Afghanistan, has asked the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, and the international community to redouble their efforts to guarantee girls’ education in Afghanistan and the safety of teachers who educate girls.

    Press Release 1/2006: Afghanistan - girls’ schooling under threat
  9. News 14 December 2005

    EI European Round Table on Equality: many challenges ahead

    Participants at the EI European Round Table on Equality held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 14-15 Nov, unanimously agreed that there are still many challenges ahead for education workers and their organisations in the area of equality.

    EI European Round Table on Equality: many challenges ahead
  10. News 6 December 2005

    Register for the 50th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women today!

    As a consultative partner of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), EI will be participating in the 50th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW), which will be held in New York, USA, from 27 February to 10 March 2006.

    Register for the 50th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women today!
  11. 22 November 2005

    Teachers for Cultural Diversity!

    A Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions (CCD) has been adopted by the UNESCO General Assembly (October 20, 2005). The Convention reaffirms the link between culture, development and dialogue and creates an innovative platform for international cultural cooperation. The new international normative...

    Teachers for Cultural Diversity!
  12. 28 September 2005

    Tackling barriers to achieve inclusive societies

    Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students and teachers have the right to a safe learning and working environment. However, there is a gap between public policies and reality. EI is encouraging teachers' unions to defend the right to education of all students though the Education For All programme. In...

    Tackling barriers to achieve inclusive societies
  13. 19 September 2005

    Combating sexual harassment in schools

    The sensitive issue of relationships between teachers and students was raised at a regional seminar held as part of EI’s AIDS/Education For All programme. The unions are agreed that only a zero-tolerance approach will work, particularly since this issue is threatening the image and credibility of the teaching profession. EI...

    Combating sexual harassment in schools
  14. 18 May 2005

    Indigenous People - A question of life or death

    Living in widely differing environments with distinct cultures and languages, Indigenous Peoples, with only a handful of exceptions, are struggling for survival. Their languages, traditions, wisdom and knowledge have disappeared or have been eradicated. Of those that remain, many are, even now, on the very verge of extinction. For EI,...

    Indigenous People - A question of life or death
  15. 18 May 2005

    EI supports GIVE, the Global Indigenous Voice on Education

    “The Answers Are Within Us” expressed the theme of the 6th World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) in August 2002. WIPCE celebrated the achievements of Indigenous peoples in transmitting their heritage from generation to generation and welcomed the sharing of successes in the use and enhancement of Indigenous languages...

    EI supports GIVE, the Global Indigenous Voice on Education
  16. 18 May 2005

    Indigenous Peoples - Healing through education

    According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, published in Peru in August 2003, the political violence between 1980 and 2000 affected urban and rural areas differently. Rural areas and poorer departments had the most number of victims. Four out of ten casualties lived in Ayacucho, and of these...

    Indigenous Peoples - Healing through education