European Trade Union Committee for Education

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This 8^th March, the International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated in a very difficult historical moment. While the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting our lives, the recent war in Ukraine is posing a significant threat to freedom and democracy. Within this context, European Social Partners in Education ETUCE and EFEE reconfirm their commitment to the promotion of inclusion, equity and equal opportunities for women and men in and through education as a basis of a tolerant, peaceful and democratic society.

The joint statement of the Social Partners in Education  adopted today at the their Working Group meeting on General Education recognises the vital role that Social Partners in education play in promoting and enhancing gender equality in education as a key factor of attracting qualified and committed workers to the teaching profession, improving its status and perception in the society, and ensuring that teachers and other education personnel feel appreciated and supported. Among other things, ETUCE and EFFE commit to adressing gender stereotypes, enhancing the recognition and value of women’s work in all education sectors, and eliminating gender-based violence and harassment in the workplaces. 

Commenting on the statement and supporting the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) call for women workers to join forces to negotiate for a better, more equal world of work, European Director Susan Flocken said: “It is vital to exploit the potential of social dialogue further to enhance gender equality in the education sector. Education is crucial  in building a sustainable and peaceful future based on equal opportunities for women and men and free of violence and harassment. We as European Social Partners in Education have responsibility in creating that future”.

ETUCE also joins Education International in highlighting the crucial role of women teachers in taking actions to advance climate justice and sustainable development. While the European institutions are focusing on teleworking, mental health and unpaid care work as main challenges for Europe’s women after COVID-19, education trade unions across the European region also mobilise for pay equality, breaking the gender bias in communities and workplaces, women teachers’ well-being, and ensuring women’s representation in all spaces where decisions are made affecting women’s lives.