EI Africa launches the study on women’s participation and leadership

Education International (EI) Africa launched the  study on Women's Participation and Leadership in Education Unions in Africa. The goal of this research was to better understand the reasons of the slow pace at which women assume union leadership positions. The study was conducted by a team of international researchers lead by Tracey Konstant from South Africa. 
 
The study, which was conducted in five countries (Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, and Senegal), in collaboration with seventeen of EIRAF's eighteen affiliated unions investigated barriers that prevent women from actively participating in union activities and thus inhibiting gender equality in unions. It also identified opportunities which could help address these barriers and support women's representation in leadership and negotiation.
 
The report was launched on Tuesday 21st March during the EI Africa Regional Committee (EIARC) Meeting, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
 
While launching the report, the EIARC Chairperson, Dr. Christian Addai-Poku,  observed that there were  perpetual historical gender roles that inhibited women from actively participating in union activities  and from their consequent  visibility at unions’ high levels of leadership. Echoing the importance of inclusivity, the chairperson reminded participants that gender roles are constructed by society and therefore, it was critical to embrace change and work on issues that were barriers to progress. Emphasising the critical findings, the chairperson advised the participants to “drop everything, read this book and pass it to someone else’.  Implementing the recommendations of the study would go a long way in penetrating the glass ceiling preventing women from accessing leadership and participating in negotiations.
The study is available here. 

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