Advancing gender equality in and through education
March 2024
March 2024
The right to education means that every child must have access to free quality education, a well-supported, qualified teacher, and a quality learning environment no matter where they live or come from, no matter their gender, ethnicity, or how much their family earns. This is our mission as education unions...
Our fight for education is a fight for women’s rightsThe 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women takes place in New York from March 11th to the 22nd. The Commission is the most important global forum that works to advance gender equality and women’s rights and conditions, globally. A delegation of 17 women education...
Education unionists call for free quality public education to help end poverty for women and girls in all their diversityEven though tremendous progress in enrolment has been made over the last 20 years, current estimates indicate that 250 million children and youth are still out of school. And over half of them – approximately 128 million – are boys.
Teachers: key in keeping boys engaged in school and learningThe critical role of regional women’s networks in fostering solidarity and addressing gender issues within unions, the education sector, and society was underscored in a recent virtual event hosted by Education International (EI). Participants from across the globe convened to explore the joint efforts of EI members and regional offices...
Regional Women’s Networks: Strengthening Solidarity and Equality‘Education’, suggested Austrian psychoanalyst Siegfried Bernfeld in 1925, ‘is the sum total of societal reaction to the fact of ontogenetic development’ (Bernfeld, 1973, 1925). His wide-ranging definition has profound implications as we endeavour to reimagine education for all in the 21st century: education begins at birth (‘ontogenetic development’), education is...
The ‘sum total’: Reimagining early childhood care and education through a gender perspective on the professionWhat do protests over gender-neutral school toilets in South Africa have to do with teachers being harassed in Brazil or curriculum changes in El Salvador ? In brief, they are all the result of mobilization against the perceived threat of ‘gender ideology’; these are just a few of the examples...
Education: a key battleground for anti-gender activistsThe first Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) Regional Women’s Conference, titled “Sisters in Solidarity: Empowering Action and Leadership in Education Unions Across Asia-Pacific,” marked a significant milestone in the journey toward gender equality in education. From July 2nd to July 4th, 2024, women leaders, trade unionists, and youth from 42 member...
Empowerment at the forefront: Asia-Pacific women lead in educationThe Arab Women Educators Network (ArWEN) held its second meeting on June 8th-9th, 2024, charting a course for a future where gender equality is not just an ideal but a reality in the education sector.
Empowering women in education: The Arab Women Educators Network gears upThis report outlines the findings of the Gender Equality and Equity survey covering the 2019-2023 period, the latest in EI’s Quadrennial Surveys on Gender Equality and Diversity. It is based on 123 responses to an online survey sent out to members (response rate of 33%) and 13 in-depth interviews with...
Achieving gender equality and equity in education and in unions continues to be a top priority for Education International member organisations. A new survey of 123 education unions from around the world reveals a strong union commitment and significant progress made, as well as challenges and areas for improvement to...
Unions continue to advance gender equality and equity in and through educationOn September 26, education trade unionists from around the world came together to discuss the state of the anti-rights movement in education and strategies to oppose it in defence of rights and gender equality. A new report from ODI Global informed the debate.
Education unions mobilise for rights and gender equality in educationOn October 11, the International Day of the Girl Child, educators around the world reaffirm their commitment to advancing girls’ rights through education. This year’s theme, “Girls’ vision for the future” , highlights their potential to effect change and to build a world where all girls are protected, respected, and...
Education voices | Teachers stand proud as allies for girls’ vision for the futureThe Education International Executive Board joined the global mobilisation around the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The Education International leadership drew attention to various forms of gender-based violence, its causes and drivers, as well as the work and role of the education union movement in putting an end...
Education International leaders reaffirm commitment to ending gender-based violenceThe Education International Latin America (EILA) network of women education workers (RED Trabajadoras) held its Subregional Meeting for Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic on 2 and 3 December in San José, Costa Rica.
Latin America: The network of women education workers sets out future priorities