European Trade Union Committee for Education

As gender gaps are still apparent in many areas of society and thus influence diverse aspects of individuals’ lives, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) composed an online tool that is freely available to gain a deeper insight in gender equality challenges in different policy areas. The platform brings together a gender perspective on nineteen different policy areas (from fishery to transport to culture and education) and presents an overview of European and national policy practices as well as good practices and methods to counteract gender inequalities.

Concerning education and training, EIGE accentuates its dual but paradoxical role in combatting gender inequalities. Education is called “a catalyst for social change and a condition for the achievement of fundamental human rights”, while acknowledging that gender equality in education is affected by numerous factors (e.g. textbooks containing stereotypes, gender based violence and sexist language, etc.) and that the teaching profession in itself is still combatting gender stereotypes (e.g. the feminisation of the teaching profession and the masculinisation of teaching in tertiary education).

The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) welcomes this initiative of EIGE and the inclusion of education as one of the policy areas addressed and appreciates their expertise in the field of gender equality. However, ETUCE critically notes the lack of involvement of social partners, in particular education trade unions, regarding the overview of policy practices and good practice examples.