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 25 April 2013

    Same-sex marriage victories in France, New Zealand and Uruguay

    EI welcomes the record of victories on marriage equality in three regions and calls on unions to act towards equality. France became the 14th country to legalise same-sex marriage on 24 April, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so on the eve of 16...

    Same-sex marriage victories in France, New Zealand and Uruguay
  2. News 19 April 2013

    Canada: working to end violence against women and girls

    EI’s affiliate, the Canadian Federation of Teachers (CTF), held its 2013 Women’s Issues Symposium from 17-18 April in Ottawa. This year's theme focused on violence against women and girls. In Canada, violence against women and girls is all too prevalent. It targets all groups of women, across age, ethnic, class...

    Canada: working to end violence against women and girls
  3. News 26 March 2013

    United Kingdom: Transgender primary school teacher dies

    After having been publicly bullied in a newspaper column in the United Kingdom’s second-largest paper, the Daily Mail, a transgender teacher is said to have taken her own life when the attacks became too much to cope with.

    United Kingdom: Transgender primary school teacher dies
  4. News 21 March 2013

    EI furthers its gender equality strategy

    The 41st EI Executive Board, meeting on 19-21 March in Brussels, Belgium, has adopted the EI Global Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP), and endorsed a second EI World Women’s Conference.

    EI furthers its gender equality strategy
  5. News 5 March 2013

    UK: Homophobic bullying still a problem for LGBT teachers

    The overwhelming majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teachers have experienced bullying and harassment related to their sexuality during their careers. This is according to a conference organised by one of EI’s affiliates in England, NASUWT.

    UK: Homophobic bullying still a problem for LGBT teachers
  6. News 5 March 2013

    Women’s Day: from words to action

    In 1910, Clara Zetkin, a political leader in Germany, first suggested the idea of an annual Women’s Day at the second International Conference of Working Women. Going from strength to strength, year after year in all corners of the globe, International Women’s Day has become a day of recognition, celebration...

    Women’s Day: from words to action
  7. News 27 February 2013

    UN CSW: No more words, time for action!

    The 57th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) is being held in New York, USA, from 4-15 March. This year's priority theme is: The Elimination and Prevention of all Forms of Violence against Women and Girls.

    UN CSW: No more words, time for action!
  8. News 18 February 2013

    Burkina Faso: trade union women’s congress

    The Fédération des syndicats nationaux des travailleurs de l’éducation et de la recherche (F-SYNTER), held its fourth women’s congress on 26 January in Ougadougou. The education union received financial support from German colleagues in the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Bildung (GEW), also an EI affiliate.

    Burkina Faso: trade union women’s congress
  9. News 8 February 2013

    India: urgent action on violence against women

    Following brutal gang-rape and murder of a female medical student in New Delhi last December, the EI South Asian Women’s Network (SWN) has issued a statement on violence against women in India.

    India: urgent action on violence against women
  10. News 7 February 2013

    UEN congratulates the Sámi people on their Day

    On 6 February, the Sámi National Day, or Sámi Álbmotbeaivi (Sámi People’s Day), was celebrated throughout Sámpi, the land of the Indigenous Sami in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. This is the date of the first Sámi gathering in 1917 in Trondheim, Norway.

    UEN congratulates the Sámi people on their Day
  11. News 28 January 2013

    Child labour report sets out agenda for change

    UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown has released a study entitled ‘Child Labour & Educational Disadvantage – Breaking the Link, Building Opportunity’. This report identifies strategies for accelerated progress towards the 2015 international development goals, maps the scale of the child labour problem, explores its impact on education,...

    Child labour report sets out agenda for change
  12. News 17 January 2013

    Fifteen years of struggle against child labour

    Fifteen years ago, on 17 January 1998, the Global March Against Child Labour started with an 80,000 km physical march. Thousands of people marched together to jointly put forth the message against child labour and slavery. Joined by Education International, trade unions, teachers’ organisations, child right organisations and children, the...

    Fifteen years of struggle against child labour
  13. News 21 December 2012

    Filipino teachers win battle against exploitation

    Earlier this week, a U.S. federal court in Los Angeles ordered a recruitment agency to pay US$4.5 million in damages to 350 Filipino teachers. The teachers, recruited as part of a guest worker programme, had been forced into exploitive contracts after arriving in the United States.

    Filipino teachers win battle against exploitation
  14. News 20 December 2012

    Kenya: Teachers plan to secure 47 county representative seats for women

    The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), one of EI’s national affiliates, is planning to have 47 county representative positions taken up by female teachers. KNUT President Wilson Sossion has announced that his union will also support women teachers going for other political seats.

    Kenya: Teachers plan to secure 47 county representative seats for women
  15. News 12 December 2012

    Education unions add voice to campaign to end violence against women

    EI, its affiliates and international organisations participated in the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign, from 25 November–10 December. They called for an end to gender-based violence and appealed to governments to prevent and protect women and girls from violence.

    Education unions add voice to campaign to end violence against women
  16. News 22 November 2012

    Education unions work to prevent violence against women

    EI marks November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, as a day to promote women’s rights at work and to call for the prevention of violence against all women and girls.

    Education unions work to prevent violence against women