This year, the NASUWT is holding joint Equalities Weekends for Black, LGBTI, women and young members.

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The Women Teachers’ Consultation Conference offers a safe space to explore key issues and challenges you face in your career, share experiences with other women members and contribute ideas for the future of your Union.

These events are FREE to eligible members and provide you with the opportunity to take part in seminars and workshops.

Tap/click on the image(s) below to find more details of upcoming events, including what you can expect from the event and how to book.

NASUWT conferences and events are strictly for adults only due to the nature of the content shared and no children will be permitted into any areas of the conference.

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Women Teachers’ Consultation Conference 2023 - round-up

The 2023 Women Teachers’ Consultation Conference was held online on Saturday 14 October.

NASUWT National President Rosemary Carabine chaired the Conference and opened by welcoming General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach to give the keynote address.

Dr Roach began by reiterating the importance of speaking directly with our members and activists to build and strengthen our Union and highlighting the importance of activism in every workplace.

Dr Roach said, ‘In the past 12 months, we have supported more women members who have taken the next step into activism and leadership in the Union, running networking events at Annual Conference and having safe spaces for members to talk about their experiences at work and in the Union.

‘As part of our commitment to positive action, we changed our rulebook to remove gender bias and facilitate new opportunities for role-sharing at the highest level. We adopted the first ever by-law to tackle sexual harassment.

‘…sexual harassment and misogyny have no place in the NASUWT. Full stop.’

Paying tribute to members of the NASUWT Sexual Harassment Taskforce and the Women Members’ Advisory Committee, Dr Roach said, ‘Across the Union, our Local Associations have embraced our agenda, helping us boost the number of women holding elected office in Local Associations, Federations and at national level, elevating the issue of equality for women and creating new networks for women and Black members.

‘I want to thank those of you who have stepped up into activism in the last year, in in workplaces, Local Associations and in the regions. We’ve seen more of our members in under-represented groups joining us and joining in.

‘Our diversity makes us stronger. This is what makes us the Union we are and the Union we aspire to be.

Moving on to the issue of how the Union ensures it is a union run by teachers for teachers, Dr Roach went on to say, ‘Our new Organising Taskforce is starting a national conversation with members and activists across the country, helping us to work together to win our fight for a Better Deal for Teachers.

Dr Roach told the Conference that while all this progress is welcome, we still have work to do: work to confront the issues of institutional and systemic sexism at work, which hold women back, damage life chances and prevent women teachers from getting on in their career.

After setting out the Union’s campaigning priorities, Dr Roach said, ‘From our call to Step up Sisters to marking October’s Black History Month theme of Saluting our Sisters, we pay special tribute to our Black women members for their leadership and activism.

‘Our National Officers Rashida Din and Michelle Codrington-Rogers are making history, demonstrating the power of inclusive leadership at the very top of our Union.

‘Women are the beating heart of our Union, stepping up and for speaking out against searing injustices and standing up for the right of every child to grow up in safety and with dignity.’

Moving on to the coming general election, Dr Roach added, ‘Our Manifesto for Teachers is putting teachers front and centre of the political debate because we know that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the conditions in which teachers teach.

‘We are making clear to all parties that you cannot secure world-class education on the backs of teachers who are exhausted and undervalued, that no government can expect to recruit and retain teachers if the profession cannot compete against other graduate occupations because of low pay.

‘We are putting forward an ambitious agenda to tackle the major problems that have caused the recruitment and retention crisis in our schools.

‘But we will not simply sit back and wait for that general election. We are winning through our national industrial actions in England and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.

‘No other union is taking more action on behalf of its members. With more than 10,000 live trade disputes, I congratulate every one of our members who is taking a stand and demanding a better deal in their workplaces.

‘The saying “No-one forgets a good teacher,” is being scorned by governments that have presided over systems to depress the pay of women teachers and denied supply teachers, who are disproportionately women, the right to pay and pensions equality.’

Dr Roach also spoke about the verbal and physical abuse and assaults against teachers and said safety at work is a right not a privilege.

He said that teachers in the UK still work the longest hours in Europe and that courageous women members and reps are winning workplace ballots and taking action against adverse management practices, breaches of health and safety, and poor management of pupil behaviour.

Action led by women members - action that is winning for all members.

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The Conference heard from two guest speakers during the day and there were opportunities to take part in interactive sessions/workshops:

• Guest speakers:

  • Tackling sexual harassment at work and in the union Deeba Syed, Rights of Women

  • Why we’re all ‘screwed up’, but it’s ok Dawn Walton, MSc.Psych, DipCHyp, MNLP, MBPsS

• Workshops:

  • How can bladder health impact you at work? Demystifying the types of causes of bladder issues and ways to improve bladder health led by Peony Li (founder of Jude) and Dr Anne Henderson

  • Pensions and women teachers led by Dave Wilkinson, NASUWT National Negotiating Official

  • Gender action - Tackling gender stereotyping and sexism in your school, using a whole-school approach led by Angharad Morgan, Gender Action

  • Flexible working - your rights, your wellbeing led by Paul Watkins, NASUWT, National Negotiating Official

  • Active Women - Panel and Discussion The results of the pre-conference survey of all women members were shared by Jane Peckham, NASUWT Deputy General Secretary, and Jennifer Moses, NASUWT National Official (Equality and Training), and then discussed by a panel made up of members of the Women’s Advisory Committee (Candida Mellor, Sally Rees and Dianne Reynolds) and chaired by Claire Ward (NEM and Chair of the Equal Opportunities Committee)

Next steps

• continue to campaign for greater equality in the curriculum;

• continue to campaign for zero tolerance on sexual harassment within the Union, schools, colleges and in public spaces;

• push for gender-sensitive health and safety policies, including bladder health, in schools and colleges;

• train union activists to negotiate for gender-sensitive policies in schools;

• provide further training opportunities on women’s health issues;

• continue to provide comprehensive training and advice on flexible working in schools and colleges;

• continue to campaign for an end to pension inequalities; and

• continue to campaign for better pay and conditions for women teachers.

Don’t miss out

If you’re not yet a member but want to attend our Women Teachers’ Consultation Conferences, and get access to other exclusive member benefits, why not join today?

You can find out more about why you should join us or go straight to our Online Joining site to take full advantage of our wider programme of events, training and discount scheme.

Want more influence?

The NASUWT is a member-led Union, which means you getting actively involved in your Union to support your colleagues and fellow teachers at work.

Getting active in the Union can take a variety of forms and will mean you get access to FREE training, support, and personal and professional development: you can be proud in the knowledge that you are undertaking a role that helps teachers in their workplaces.

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