Women Members
The NASUWT organises a range of campaigns and activities to support women teachers. The National Women’s Advisory Committee has informed policy development on issues of concern to women members, including commissioning research on the pay and careers of women teachers and supporting campaigns on a range of issues including violence against women and the under-representation of women in the political arena.
Events for Women Members
Each year the NASUWT holds a Women Teachers' Consultation Conference.The theme of last year's Conference was 'Women Forging Links' and looked at how, by continuing to forge links with each other, women can continue to improve their professional and personal lives.
The Conference gave delegates the opportunity to network with other women teachers, assess the impact of government policies, discuss key professional issues, share experiences and hear from keynote speakers.
Issues covered during the conference included:
- The NASUWT’s ‘Standing Up For Standards’ campaign and action;
- performance management and capability;
- health and wellbeing in the workplace;
- shaping your life by getting involved in community and national politics;
This year's Conference takes place on Saturday 5 October at the Hilton Metropole, Birmingham. Members can register online.
Below: Multiple Paralympic gold medallist Sarah Storey gave an inspirational speech at the opening evening dinner at the 2012 conference.
Development Courses
The NASUWT provides a two-day development course for women members. The course looks at confidence building and how women can get more involved in the Union. The next courses will take place at the Eastern Regional Centre and the Wales National Centre on 12/13 July 2013.
Social Networking
Have your say on issues affecting women teachers.
Beyond the Union
The NASUWT is affiliated to a number of women's organisations including the Charter for Women, EAVES, Maternity Action, the White Ribbon Campaign, the National Council of Women of Great Britain and the National Alliance of Women's Organisations.
The Union also works with the TUC and the TUC Women's Committee on gender equality in the workplace and wider society. The NASUWT has a representative on the TUC Women's Committee. This year's TUC Women's Conference will take place at TUC Congress House on 13th-15th March 2013 and the Union is taking its full delegate entitlement. The Union has submitted motions on Violence against Women and State Education.
The NASUWT is a supporter of the TUC Women' Chainmakers Festival which celebrates the achievements of 800 or so women chainmakers in the Black Country who fought to establish their right to a minimum wage. This dispute was an important step towards establishing a National Minimum Wage - finally achieved in 1989. This year's festival takes place on 8th June 2013 at Bearmore Park, Cradley Heath.
NASUWT and NUT launch historic agreement
Useful Links
All the links below open in new windows.
All the links below will open in new windows.
Centre for Women and Democracy
End Violence Against Women
The Fawcett Society
Feminist Fightback
Justice for Women
Maternity Action
Million Women Rise
National Alliance of Women's Organisations
National Assembly of Women
National Council of Women of Great Britain
Reclaim The Night
UK Feminista
Women's Resource Centre
White Ribbon Campaign
Women’s Parliamentary Radio
Womankind Worldwide
Women's Aid
Information and Publications
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Publications
No Job For A Woman - The Impact of Gender in School Leadership
09/05/2013 15:22
Menopause Health, Safety and Welfare Issues (England)
30/04/2013 12:36
International Women's Day card
26/02/2013 11:37
School Reps Handbook (England)
28/05/2012 15:08
International Women's Day Card
02/03/2012 14:51
The latest proposals for reform of the Teachers Pension scheme
07/11/2011 14:46
NASUWT Response to Bailey Review
17/08/2011 16:26
Response to Bailey Review
09/06/2011 15:10
Government risks entrenching women in unemployment
24/04/2013 16:41
Years of progress on women's equality being unravelled
01/04/2013 12:38
News and Campaigns
International Women's Day
8th March is International Women’s Day (IWD). It is celebrated across the globe and is a day for campaigners to draw attention to women’s continued campaign for equality. The day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the 20th century in North America and across Europe.
While International Women's Day is now largely aimed at inspiring women across the world and celebrating their achievements, its roots are in movements campaigning for better pay and voting rights. The first IWD was held in 1911 where rapid expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world saw a booming population growth and the rise of trade unions. Over a million people attended rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.
The 2005 TUC Congress passed a resolution calling for IWD to be designated a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
Valuing Maternity
The NASUWT is affiliated to Maternity Action and is supporting their campaign for rights for breastfeeding mothers.
The new Shared Parental Leave reforms allow mothers to share maternity leave with dads and partners from two weeks after the birth. But they don’t give women the right to breastfeed on return to work. This needs to change.
92 countries give women a legal right to breastfeeding breaks on return to work – but not the UK.
It is up to women to decide whether to breastfeed or not. It should be as easy as possible for women to breastfeed, if this is what they want to do. Women should not have to choose between returning to work and breastfeeding their baby.
Working mothers should have the right to breastfeeding breaks and the right to somewhere private (which isn’t a toilet) where they can breastfeed or express milk.
The Union is supporting the Maternity Action campaign to get people to send the Minister, Jo Swinson, a Mothers’ Day card, asking her to support breastfeeding mothers.
Post your card to:
Jo Swinson MP
Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
1 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0ET
Or tweet to @JoSwinson (use #breastfeeding and #ValuingMaternity hashtags, if you like).
Or email your Mothers Day wishes to: swinsonmpstcorrespondence@bis.gsi.gov.uk
For further information log onto the Maternity Action website
Violence against Women
The NASUWT sponsored and spoke at last year's Reclaim the Night march and rally, which took place on Saturday 24 November 2012 in central London to demand an end to all forms of violence against women. Reclaim The Night gives women a voice and a chance to reclaim the streets at night on a safe and empowering event. The march gives women one night when they can feel safe to walk the streets of their own towns and cities.
The NASUWT also supports the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (PDF - 921KB) and affiliates to the White Ribbon Campaign (new window).
Sexualisation of women and young girls
Linked to the NASUWT's work on tackling violence against women is its work on tackling the sexualisation of young girls and women. The Union responded to the Bailey Review on the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood. Whilst welcoming the review the NASUWT had some concerns with the final report. Surprisingly the report did not mention the role of education in tackling sexualisation and also lacked any real gendered perspective about the objectification of girls and women. The NASUWT was one of the signatories to a letter to David Cameron expressing these concerns.
