Education International (EI) and its affiliates worldwide will participate in several actions around the theme of women and girl’s education on the occasion of Global Action Week (GAW), from 2-8 May.
The organiser of GAW, the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), of which EI is a founding member, has issued a statement on gender and education, highlighting that it “is proud to be part of social movements that fight for gender equity and to support women’s emancipation and empowerment. We believe that education is key to overcoming gender inequity and promoting transformation of societies. Thus, GCE’s 2011 Global Action Week for Education For All issues a clarion call for urgent political action to achieve true gender equality in through public education: It’s a Right, Make It Right!”
GCE has also referred to the 1979 Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, which states that “member states will adopt the necessary measures to change socio cultural behavior of men and women so as to eliminate discrimination and the perception of hierarchy between men and women (male superiority) as well as all gender stereotypes.”
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has delivered a strong message in support of the campaign: “We can get it right with strong political will, smart policies and adequate resources. It is not acceptable that gender discrimination remains so pervasive in education. This is a denial of universal human rights established many decades ago.”
UNESCO will also present the 2011 edition of the UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report for the occasion of GAW. Many EI affiliates have planned various high-scale GAW celebrations.
In Africa, EI Chief Coordinator, Assibi Napoe, will join the EI affiliate in Burundi, the Syndicat libre des travailleurs de l’enseignement, and the national coalition, the BAFASHEBIGE, for the SMA official launch in the province of Kirundo on 3 May. Conferences on themes such as taking stock of school enrolment of girls in Burundi or Challenges for former girl child soldiers will also be organised in this country during the GAW.
In Morroco, EI’s Executive Board member Abdelaziz Mountassir, and EI member organisation, the Syndicat national de l’enseignement, are planning on joining marches in Errachidia and Fès, demanding that the right to education for all be guaranteed.
Concerning the Asia-Pacific region, one of EI’s Indian affiliate, the All Indian Federation of Teachers’ Organisations (AIFTO) has announced it will organise meetings gathering teachers, girl students, and public representatives together with prominent women leaders on this year’s GAW theme; set up rallies to raise-awareness on issues related to women and girls education; and lead a postcard campaign on girls’ education, during which students will be signing and sending cards to the Indian President and Prime Minister.
In Sri Lanka, the national campaign includes several EI member organisations: the All Ceylon Union of Teachers, the All Ceylon Union of Teachers (Government), the Ceylon Tamil Teachers’ Union, the Sri Lanka Independent Teachers’ Union and the Union of Sri Lanka Teachers Solidarity. These teacher unions are planning to organise events in six chosen districts where educated women of high standing in society will explain to children how education helped them to lead successful lives; and leading a survey of women prison inmates to learn more about the relationship between loss of educational opportunities and involvement in anti-social activities.
In Europe, both Albanian EI’s affiliates, the Trade Union Federation of Education and Science of Albania and the Independent Trade Union of Education of Albania, will organise a national meeting and some regional meetings involving teachers, local trade union leaders, representatives from the Education Ministry and local education directories, as well as other NGO representatives, where a publication on “Financing quality public education: a right for all” will be launched and discussed.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, EI’s member organisations, the Independent Trade Union of Primary Education Workers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Trade Union of Secondary and Higher Education of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have planned the following activities are preparing a Women's Round Table on the theme: “It's right, a Right! Make it Right! Education for women and Girls now!;” creating GAW materials; and holding a press conference on GAW.
Latin American teacher unionists will also be active during GAW. In Argentina for example, one of EI’s national affiliates, the Confederación de trabajadores de la educación de la República Argentina (CTERA), will undertake awareness-raising activities on the education level reached by women in different regions across the country, and will be present at the 37th international book fair in Buenos Aires to inform visitors about GAW.
In Brazil, the national campaign is looking forward to participate in a public session of the National Congress to present MPs with civil society’s worries and demands regarding education laws and strategies, as well as discriminatory practices within the education sector. On 3 May, the coalition will organise a workshop on wall-tagging, allowing young people to debate on discriminations in schools at district-level.
Some of EI’s affiliates already celebrated the Week and its theme previously. For example, Spanish affiliates took part in an action from the national coalition at the Parliament on 12 April, calling for education for all.
EI Deputy General Secretary Monique Fouilhoux will also join the General Assembly of the French campaign for education for all, Solidarité laïque, on 25 May in Paris. She has said: “I am extremely happy that the French campaign is committed on girls’ education at national level, but also internationally. For example, the French campaign will support an initiative aiming at building latrines for girls in Burkina Faso’s schools. This demonstrates if need be that solidarity is a teachers’ core value. There can be any social justice without gender equity.”
To learn more about the 2011 GAW, please go to: www.globalactionweek.org
EI also invites its affiliates to get involved in GAW national campaign’s activities, report on them and share documents, pictures, etc. by contacting: globalactionweek@ei-ie.org