Summary - 5th Education International World Women’s Conference

Rising united for gender justice:
Educating the world, leading change, fighting for democracy  

Women educate the world and are the heart of the global education union movement. We make up the majority of educators and outnumber men in most education unions. Yet, this is far from reflected in decision-making or union leadership.

Despite all the progress we have made, our profession continues to suffer from low salaries, poor working conditions and excessive work, and high levels of stress and emotional labour. These factors are fuelling the global teacher shortage and are putting the right to education at risk. At the same time, far-right and conservative forces are gaining ground, threatening to erase decades of progress on gender equity and civil rights. As women, we are united also in our fight against discriminatory structures, gender-based violence, and barriers to leadership.

We must harness our collective power to elevate women’s leadership and effect gender equity across unions, education, and society. We must rise united for gender justice.

The 5th Education International World Women’s Conference will be a transformative global forum and rally for gender equity. The Conference will bring together women education unionists from all around the globe and provide an inclusive, safe, and inspiring space for in-depth discussion, knowledge sharing, strategising, and action.

Over two and a half days, we will explore a variety of topics related to our profession, advancing women’s leadership in education and in unions, and our common fight for democracy and social justice. Above all, we will connect with each other and strengthen our global movement for women’s rights.

The Conference programme will feature a variety of formats, from plenary and breakout sessions to capacity-building and informal networking moments.

The 5th Education International World Women’s Conference will take place in Bahia, Brazil, from the 15th to the 17th of September 2026. We are looking forward to seeing you there!