Transforming words into action will be goal of nearly 400 women as they join forces for quality education at Education International’s second World Women’s Conference in Dublin, Ireland. From 7-9 April, female leaders in education and trade unions from around the world will tackle some of the biggest challenges facing gender equality in education.
Taking place in Dublin’s Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Burlington Road, delegates will have the opportunity to learn from the leaders in education and women’s issues, as well as join engaging workshops targeting the most pressing concerns in education facing women today.
The event, hosted by Education International (EI), the largest global union federation, representing over 30 million teachers and other education workers in 400 organisations in more than 170 countries and territories, will be co-hosted by the four EI Irish national affiliates: the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI.)
Ruairi Quinn TD, the Irish Minister for Education and Skills, will welcome participants by offering his vast political and ministerial experience, followed by the keynote address of H.E. Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland, and a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers working to mobilise the highest-level women leaders to collectively tackle issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
The conference aims to highlight the impact quality education for girls and women not only makes on improving the lives of individual students, but on how it strengthens families, communities and society as a whole.
“We need to focus our efforts on ensuring that girls receive a quality education, and not just a seat in a classroom,” says EI President Susan Hopgood, adding that “quality education begins by providing our teachers with the professional training required to become better educators.”
Workshop sessions at the Second EI World Women's Conference 2014 will enable participants to collaborate on practices that have improved equality for women and men in trade unions, and examine the role which gender equality plays in education.
Further information is available on the Conference website here
You can listen to women trade unionists talk about gender equity at www.radiolabour.net/ei-wwc-2014