The 5th Education International World Women’s Conference is underway in Bahia, Brazil, with more than 300 women education unionists from 57 countries gathered for discussions on gender equality, women’s leadership and the challenges facing education workers.
The three-day conference, which opened on September 15 and runs through September 17, is being held under the theme “Rising united for gender justice: Educating the world, leading change, fighting for democracy.”
At the meeting, attention is being drawn to the gap between women’s strong presence in the education workforce and their representation in leadership. Women make up the majority of educators in many countries and outnumber men in several education unions, but remain underrepresented in decision-making positions.
Discussions are also focusing on conditions affecting education workers, including low salaries, poor working conditions, excessive workloads, workplace stress and emotional labour. The global teacher shortage is another issue being examined by delegates.
Gender-based violence is also featured in discussions, alongside concerns about gender equality, civil rights and democracy.
Education unionists from different regions are participating in the meeting, including representatives from Africa. The conference is being hosted in partnership with Brazilian education unions.
For African participants, the discussions follow preparations led by Education International Africa ahead of the global meeting. In July, the regional body, through the African Women in Education Network (AWEN), organised a preparatory session for African women delegates.
Education International Africa has also been working to strengthen women’s participation in education union leadership across the continent, with recent programmes focusing on gender-responsive leadership, inclusive union structures, and violence and harassment in the workplace.
The conference programme features plenary and breakout sessions where delegates are sharing experiences from their countries and discussing approaches to gender inequality in education and the workplace.
The meeting continues through September 17, with developments from participants being shared online under the hashtag #EIWomen.
