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Haldis Holst is Education International’s Deputy General Secretary and leads EI’s equity work. As a teacher, a union leader, and a feminist, Haldis has championed women’s rights in and through education and education unions, working at all levels, from small communities in her native Norway all the way to the United Nations.

Ahead of the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we sat down with Haldis to capture her reflections on the decades of activism that have brought us to this moment and the challenges ahead.

Worlds of Education: How was your first experience at the UN CSW and why do you keep going back? How has it changed over the years?

My first time at the UN CSW was in March 2013, the same year I started working for Education International. I think the most remarkable thing that first time was being in this huge metropolis that is New York and seeing all these women and girls from all over the world roaming the streets, going to events, discussing, and debating. It was so energizing. This is why I keep going back: because the UN CSW is this gigantic community of women and girls and men too with so many diverse opinions and life experiences. Much like New York itself, this community of activists is a melting pot, and we are all focused on one issue – advancing women’s rights.

Of course, there are barriers to participation especially when it comes to U.S. visas and the cost of traveling to New York. For some of us, it’s easy to be global citizens and travel across borders but we have to remember this is not the case for everybody. Many people have to plan months ahead, they have to travel to other countries to attend a visa interview, and sometimes they are turned down. This has been brought to the attention of U.N. Women and they have been supportive, issuing invitation letters and helping to the best of their abilities. We also do our best to support our members so that they can travel to New York and be part of the UN CSW but our financial resources are limited

It's always special to go to the United Nations. The U.N. is such an important institution for the whole of humanity that being there gives me a sense of optimism. Opening up the U.N. headquarters to regular people, not just heads of state but to activists from all around the world representing women in all their diversity is beautiful to see and experience. It feels like the world is coming together in the most constructive way, with a common focus and a common mission.

Over the years, we have discussed different themes and those years where we focused on education were particularly relevant for us as Education International. But we always find aspects that are relevant and interesting for us as women education unionists.

The UN CSW is also a great opportunity for us to spend time with our union sisters. We always come together as the global union delegation representing women workers everywhere. We have briefing meetings, we got to events together, we share and debate. It's a great feeling of sisterhood.

Worlds of Education: Why is it important for women leaders to come together and what have you learned from sharing with colleagues outside of the official meetings?

Women leaders, like all leaders, need to network. You can't do anything on your own. The UN CSW is an opportunity to be together in the same space and it’s all the more important because very often being in a leadership position can be very lonely. Being in a new place with new people gives you a different perspective and it gives you the chance to gain support and to support someone.

Whether it's in official or unofficial events, a conversation over coffee, or someone you start chatting to on the street because you see each other’s UN CSW badge, it’s these interactions that make the UN CSW energizing, inspirational, and absolutely unique.

Plus, there are so many events happening that you have to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and learn something new or get a new perspective. I have a very vivid memory of going to an event on Indigenous Peoples that was organised by the Finnish Mission in New York. There I heard a young woman speaking about the rights of the Sami people who are River Fishers. I'm from Norway, where the Sami people are indigenous, and I had no idea there was a group of Sami people called River Fishers. I knew about the Reindeer Herders and the Coastal Sami, but this was completely new. I was so shocked at my own lack of knowledge, but I was also happy to learn something new. You often come out of those events feeling like you have a mission and something you want to stand up for.

The UN CSW takes you out of your bubble and reveals this huge world that inspires and motivates you. But you can also create your own bubble. We had one year in New York when Manhattan was hit by a snowstorm and everything shut down. The U.N. closed down, they couldn't clear the streets, and we were stuck in our hotel. So, we came together, the 20 women of the delegation, and we had a spontaneous seminar. We challenged each other to tell our stories, we asked questions, shared wisdom and experiences. There’s a lot of value in that, in our stories. This is how we find commonality, the challenges we share across regions and far-away continents, and also our determination, our commitment, and our solidarity. Breaking down barriers and building connections was a fantastic way to wait out a snowstorm. We made the best of it.

Worlds of Education: Why do you think it’s important for education unionists to be at the UN CSW?

It is absolutely essential that Education International and our members are present at the UN CSW. The majority of our 33 million members are women and we have a mandate to defend and promote their rights at the global level. Human rights and women's rights are at the core of our values and our mission.

In addition, so many of the topics that are addressed at the UN CSW concern the world of work and are highly relevant to education workers. As unions, we must be there to be the voice of the women who power education around the world.

Worlds of Education: What are the main union demands going into the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women?

This year’s agreed conclusions will be different because we’re actually looking back at the last 30 years. Instead of the usual focused declaration, we will have a very broad declaration that will try to capture the big picture. We will work with our allies to advocate for important points to be included, such as the right to free public education, a workplace free of violence and harassment and meaningful social dialogue. The negotiations will be difficult because some issues are considered controversial, especially anything to do with reproductive rights and gender identity.

As Education International, we know that gender equity requires quality inclusive education for all. We are advocating for governments to ensure that all women and girls have equal access to free, inclusive, quality education and lifelong learning, regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, or migration status.

We are calling for competitive salaries, fair working conditions, and continuous professional development for teachers. Let’s not forget that teaching is a profession dominated by women in many parts of the world and that teachers are the single most important factor in achieving quality education. The global teacher shortage must be addressed by implementing the United Nations Recommendations for a strong and resilient teaching profession.

And we are also calling on governments to work with educators and our unions to end school-related gender-based violence and to ratify and fully implement Convention 190 of the International Labour Organization for a world of work free from violence and harassment.

The Beijing+30 Declaration must also highlight the link between gender equality and sustainable peace. Women in conflict zones must be protected, schools must be kept safe, and teachers must be supported. Adequate financing is needed to ensure women’s participation in peace efforts and frontline services. And in the aftermath of war, economic opportunities and decent work are key to post-conflict stability.

Worlds of Education: What is the role of community and networks in the feminist movement and particularly in advancing women’s rights in education unions?

If you're going to make progress, you have to organise bottom up. You can't change the world from the top and you can’t change the world on your own. This is where building community and alliances comes in. This applies both at home, in our unions, and out in the world, in places like the UN CSW.

In Education International, women’s networks are a strategy and a tool to advance women’s rights in our unions. We have very strong women’s networks at sub-regional and regional levels in Africa, in Asia-Pacific, and in Latin America. These networks are great sources of drive and power when they are connected to decision making structures. We must always be careful to not use women’s networks, committees or events to tokenise women or to tick a box.

At the global level, as a union federation, it is essential that we build community and alliances. At the UN CSW, we always join forces with other global unions, and we present a common front as one union delegation speaking for women workers everywhere. Together we are more representative, and we can speak authoritatively about different sectors and issues. None of us can do it on our own but when we come together, we are so much stronger.

Worlds of Education: Since you started as a classroom teacher and then going forward in your union, what progress do you see and what challenges remain?

I started as a teacher in 1983 so that gives me some perspective. It’s very easy to fixate on the present moment and only see all the problems and all that we still have to do and achieve. But I think it's very valuable to take a longer-term view and reflect on how far we’ve come. I look back at all the progress made during my lifetime and even before, and there’s just so much we have achieved.

Not too long ago, women were fighting for the right to vote. In my country, women teachers and their union were leading this movement, and it took a long time and a lot of work and determination to make it happen. The president of the female teachers’ union was the first female member of Parliament. Norway was one of the first countries where women won their right to vote, and our profession was part of this victory, so this is something we are very proud of.

The same is true in my personal experience. I started my career as a physical education teacher in a little fishing village in the north of Norway. I can remember that at that time it was very uncommon to allow girls to play football, to do competitive wrestling or ski jumping. As girls gradually were allowed to participate and compete, it was groundbreaking. Change takes time, and it takes persistence and patience to change minds and traditions. Now we are at the point where just about no sport is off limits for women and that is progress.

The same applies to the world of work. The number of women working has increased tremendously in the last few decades and that has meant financial independence and more freedom for hundreds of millions of women.

And we see progress in our unions too. More women than ever are rising to the top positions and are representing our profession. Far more school leaders are women compared to 1983.

We must always remember that progress takes time, and we must value all our victories, big and small. Of course, progress isn’t equal across countries and it’s not linear, always on the rise. There are always setbacks and pushbacks. But we mustn’t lose hope, and we have to keep believing and pushing forward in the right direction. We can never lose sight of how far we’ve come.

Just recently I was watching a series about the Icelandic president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. In 1980, she became the first woman in the world to be democratically elected as president of a country. That’s just 45 years ago. She was a single mom and a teacher and of course, she experienced a lot of pushback. She won the presidential election by a slim margin, but she was re-elected for consecutive terms totalling 16 years. Since then, more and more women have been elected – progress is undeniable.

Role models are essential because they show us what is possible. When we rise to a position of power, it’s not just about us, it’s about those who paved the way for us and those who will follow in our footsteps because they now have the ability and confidence that they can do it.

Worlds of Education: Recently, the pushback against feminism and other social justice movements has gained political ground. How can the movement ensure progress is not lost and that we keep moving forward despite the challenges?

This is not the first pushback against gender equality, and it won’t be the last. It is a cycle: we achieve something and then there's the pushback. It’s easy to see why – we are fighting to take up space, to take power but that space is currently occupied. No one wants to be pushed aside so they hit back. It's an automatic reaction.

Men and boys may feel threatened and struggle seeing their role change. We must talk to them and with them and engage with their concerns so that together we can change the traditional gender roles that are toxic for everyone, men and women alike. We have to do this without giving ground in terms of equal rights. We can’t settle for symbolic power, for tokenism, or for being told what we should be and do. Of course, social media and the bubbles or silos it creates makes communication difficult but that just means we need to constantly adjust our strategies. There is no way but forward.

As activists, we want change as quickly as possible. The strength of our values that makes us so determined and committed, can also make us impatient. But we do need to be patient and remember that throughout history, things have never been straightforward. This fight for women’s rights is a marathon, not a sprint.

We have to keep our spirits up, keep the hope alive and I find that building community with other women and allies is of great help. Don’t be alone and look around to see if you can be there for someone. And always remember that patience is not giving up, patience is endurance. Together we persevere.