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. Research

    The public versus austerity: Why public sector wage bill constraints must end

    ActionAid, Education International, Public Services International
    12 October 2021

    The world faces a series of interconnecting crises and responding to them will demand a complete disruption of business as usual. In the light of Covid-19, the growing debt crisis, rising inequality, gender injustice, and the climate crisis there is an urgent need to revisit the fundamental redistributive role of...

    The public versus austerity: Why public sector wage bill constraints must end
    1. The public versus austerity | Full report
    2. The public versus austerity | Key findings
    3. The public versus austerity | Methodology
  2. News 12 October 2021

    New research: IMF imposed austerity slashes three million frontline workers from world’s most fragile education and health systems

    New research by ActionAid, Public Services International, and Education International warns that the International Monetary Fund’s demands to cut public sector employee costs undermine progress on health and education.

    New research: IMF imposed austerity slashes three million frontline workers from world’s most fragile education and health systems
  3. Statements 8 October 2021

    Statement on the International Day of the Girl 2021 | Digital Generation. Our Generation

    This year’s commemorations of the International Day of the Girl (October 11th) will highlight the ‘digital realities and the solutions [girls] need to excel on their diverse pathways as technologists for freedom of expression, joy, and boundless potential ’.

    Statement on the International Day of the Girl 2021 | Digital Generation. Our Generation
  4. News 4 October 2021

    Education is crucial in the fight against hate speech

    Students, teachers, and communities must have opportunities in education “to engage meaningfully with difficult issues and to hear multiple perspectives”. Education International’s President, Susan Hopgood, stressed this point in her remarks during a global gathering to unpack the role of education vis-à-vis the phenomenon of hate speech.

    Education is crucial in the fight against hate speech
  5. Worlds of Education 19 August 2021

    Disability and Teaching In The Time of The Covid Crisis

    Julie Ferguson

    I’m Julie, a deaf/blind high school teacher in the North of Scotland. Here is my experience balancing 16 months of Covid-19 as a deaf/blind teacher and unionist.

    Disability and Teaching In The Time of The Covid Crisis
  6. News 11 August 2021

    Nicaragua: Creating happier school environments to mitigate child labour

    The education union CGTEN-ANDEN is helping teachers in Nicaragua’s regions of León and La Dalia to diversify their teaching methods and use traditional music, dance and games to make school fun for students. The initiative is part of the union’s project to eradicate child labour.

    Nicaragua: Creating happier school environments to mitigate child labour
  7. Statements 9 August 2021

    Statement | International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

    On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Education International reaffirms the human rights of Indigenous Peoples and supports the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Across the world, Indigenous communities have been devastated by the impact of COVID-19. The deadly pandemic has added another layer of struggle to...

    Statement | International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
  8. News 5 August 2021

    East Asian education unions unite for quality peace education

    Understanding that history is often distorted and that political forces often interfere with education systems and curricula, Chinese, Korean and Japanese teachers are exploring their shared past to teach students for a better future.

    East Asian education unions unite for quality peace education
  9. Research

    Crises and the COVID-19 pandemic: education responses and choices during times of disruptions

    A global synthesis and Sub-Saharan African country analysis: Cabo Verde, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda
    31 July 2021

    This research was commissioned by the Open Society Foundation (OSF) and Education International (EI) with the aim of understanding the global policy responses to education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research also aims to understand how various states have responded to the pandemic in the midst of...

    Crises and the COVID-19 pandemic: education responses and choices during times of disruptions
    1. Download
  10. News 20 July 2021

    Register today! Real talk: Teachers and young people as drivers of change on comprehensive sexual education and school-related gender-based violence

    How can school stakeholders work with governments to advance comprehensive sexuality education and help eradicate school-related gender-based violence? Join the conversation on 27 July, from 14:00 BST!

    Register today! Real talk: Teachers and young people as drivers of change on comprehensive sexual education and school-related gender-based violence
  11. News 19 July 2021

    Philippines: Education unionists targeted by Duterte regime in escalating human rights violations

    The Second Report of the Independent International Commission of Investigation into Human Rights Violations in the Philippines (Investigate PH) was released this month. The report documents intensifying human rights violations perpetrated by state agents, in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s security policies and violent statements that have been adopted as...

    Philippines: Education unionists targeted by Duterte regime in escalating human rights violations
  12. Worlds of Education 16 July 2021

    “Poor families and digital technologies. The nuances of digital appropriation.”

    During the pandemic, the role of families in children’s education has been emphasised because of school closures and the introduction of distance learning using new technologies. How can digital inclusion in the domestic, at-home sphere be understood in this context? As part of the series of conferences “Digital culture and...

    “Poor families and digital technologies. The nuances of digital appropriation.”
  13. News 15 July 2021

    Chad: the SET supporting teachers during the COVID-19 crisis

    Throughout the crisis, the Chad Teachers Union (SET, Syndicat des Enseignants du Tchad) has focused on listening to and supporting teachers. To this aim, the union carried out a large-scale survey to better understand the impact of the pandemic on teachers and to assess the effectiveness of distance learning.

    Chad: the SET supporting teachers during the COVID-19 crisis
  14. News 14 July 2021

    Facing the pandemic: Educators lead in solidarity for an equitable recovery

    Latest message from Education International General Secretary stresses the role of the education union movement in the fight against COVID-19 and climate change to further social justice, democracy and a sustainable future for all.

    Facing the pandemic: Educators lead in solidarity for an equitable recovery
  15. Video

    Education unions take action to end school-related gender-based violence

    12 July 2021

    Education union activists from nine countries across Africa share what they have learned about challenging gender-based violence in their schools, their communities, their unions and their national education systems.