European Trade Union Committee for Education

International Women’s Day offers a moment to honour the millions of women who uphold Europe’s education systems while confronting the persistent stereotypes that continue to shape how society views them. Too often, political narratives still portray women primarily as mothers or caregivers rather than recognising them as skilled professionals and leaders. In a largely feminised profession like teaching, these narratives directly contribute to the undervaluation of the work of education personnel, the decline in the status of the profession, and the chronic underinvestment that feeds teacher shortages across Europe. Challenging these outdated perceptions is essential not only for gender equality but for the future of highquality education. 

ETUCE emphasises that teaching is a complex, demanding profession requiring high levels of training, autonomy, and continuous development. Reducing it to “care work” obscures the professional and intellectual expertise that education personnel bring every day and reinforces gendered assumptions that harm women in particular. The upcoming EU Teachers’ Agenda presents a crucial opportunity to counter these narratives by strengthening the profession and ensuring that educators’ rights and needs are placed at the centre of policy. 

A key priority is improving working conditions, salaries, job stability, and workplace safety so that the profession becomes attractive and sustainable for future generations. These improvements are especially important in a sector dominated by women, who often face precarious contracts, excessive workloads, and heightened exposure to harassment and violence. Professional autonomy and academic freedom must also be guaranteed, allowing teachers, trainers and academics to exercise their expertise, influence decisionmaking, and participate fully in shaping schools and education systems. Strengthening autonomy helps counter the perception of teaching as “care work” and reinforces it as a complex, intellectual profession led by highly trained specialists—many of whom are women whose expertise has too often been overlooked. 

Highquality initial teacher education and continuous professional development are indispensable for keeping pace with evolving educational needs. Yet many women—who still carry the majority of care responsibilities at home—struggle to access the continuous professional development because it is frequently offered outside working hours. When training requires evening or weekend participation, women teachers, especially those working part time, disproportionately miss out on essential career opportunities. ETUCE insists that professional development must be free, accessible during working hours, and designed to accommodate all educators without personal or financial sacrifice. 

On this International Women’s Day, ETUCE celebrates the contribution of millions of women teachers who uphold Europe’s education systems every day. But celebration must be accompanied by action. We call on EU institutions and national governments to: 

• Adopt and implement the EU Teachers’ Agenda with ambition 

• Invest in the teaching profession as a pillar of gender equality 

• Challenge harmful narratives that reduce women to traditional roles 

• Recognise educators—women and men alike—as skilled professionals essential to democratic, inclusive societies 

By strengthening the teaching profession, Europe strengthens gender equality. And by challenging outdated narratives about women, we build education systems that reflect the values of dignity, equality, and respect. This International Women’s Day, let us choose to see women — not through stereotypes, but as leaders, experts, and professionals shaping Europe’s future.