
Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee (WTGEC)
The 10 member Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee exists to carry out tasks relevant to women and girls in education, including:
- providing advice to QTU Executive and making recommendations to QTU State Council
- monitoring issues affecting women workers, such as paid maternity leave and discrimination
- reviewing and developing policy
- liaising with other QTU standing committees
- overseeing the organisation of the Biennial QTU Women’s Conference
- seeking expertise, information and advice from up to two relevant experts (who may not be QTU members), if required.
Letitia Murgha is this year's QTU nominee for the QCU Emma Miller Award, which recognises the outstanding contributions women activists make to their unions.
Letitia, who is a Kalkadoon and Kutjala woman, lives and works in Weipa, where she is the Parents as First Partners project officer/teacher at the Weipa Campus of Western Cape College. She has been nominated for the award by the QTU.
As well as working for the Department of Education and Training for 30 years, she is also a member of the Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Committee, the peak advisory committee directly advising the Queensland Minister for Education and Training and the Federal Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations on Indigenous education, training and higher education issues.
Within the QTU, Letitia has been the workplace rep at the Weipa campus of Western Cape College since 2005 and has been a member of Gandu Jarjum, the QTU's Indigenous committee, since 2006. She prides herself on having reinvigorated Labour Day marches in Weipa and takes an active role in QTU campaigns, such as the current Weipa hostel campaign.
Leititia is a fierce advocate for Indigenous students and their communities, and a staunch union activist. The QTU is very proud to have been able to nominate her as the first Indigenous recipient of the Emma Miller Award.
The Emma Miller award ceremony is on 19 November.
Leah Mertens
QTU Women's Coordinator
AWE The Association of Women Educators:
The Association of Women Educators was formed in 1983 by a number of women from the Queensland Teachers’ Union and the Queensland Independent Education Union in response to the need for a voice for women and girls in education.
AWE, through its branches and executive, works actively to further the participation of women and girls in education.
The Association:
- works to eliminate all forms of discrimination in curriculum, in institutional practices and in policies
- encourages and supports women, so that they can effectively pursue careers in education
- encourages and supports women in the decision-making processes at all levels in the educational system
- responds to issues of concern for women, both in education and the community
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lobbies for further reforms and change generally to enhance the position of women in education and society.
This work focuses on:
- education as a career path for women
- issues which affect the quality of education available to girls
- societal attitudes/actions which perpetuate a stereotypical view of women and create a barrier to the full participation of women in education and in society generally.
The Anna Stewart Memorial Project
Read the 2010 participants report and blog
The Anna Stewart Memorial Project has been operating successfully in Queensland since 1988, serving as an affirmative action strategy to help rank and file women get more active in the union movement.
The Queensland Council of Unions invites member unions to nominate women members to participate in a 2 week work shadowing program, one week with their own union and the second week with a host union. Exchanges between blue and white collar unions are encouraged, with a view to raising an awareness of the many and varied issues that confront all workers, and particularly women, in all fields of work.
This project has served as a stepping stone for women to launch a career within the union movement. It was designed to give participants unique levels of access to union organisations, and develop their awareness of the ways in which unions can work to redress the discrimination and exploitation of women workers in Australia.
The project, which was named in honour of the late Anna Stewart, a well known union activist who fought for women’s rights within the union movement, is held annually, with this year’s taking place in May. Participants continue to receive their usual workplace pay during the two week period.
Women QTU members who are interested in the project should nominate through the QTU Journal. For more information please contact the Women’s Coordinator in the Brisbane office.
Click here to go to the QCU's Anna Stewart Memorial Project page
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Condolences to US community
Tragic news continues to come from Moore, Oklahoma, where young children have died at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which was in the direct path of a tornado. As President Barack Obama has said, these children lost their lives in one of the safest places they knew – their school. The thoughts of 44,000 QTU members are with the devastated community.
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Advice - QTAD
For quick access to information and advice on your working conditions
- About QTAD
- Advice online
- Information online
- Printable advice request form
- Printable information request form
or call QTAD on 1300 11 7823
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Union Reps
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Union Training - QTEC
- About QTEC
- Union Training
- Course Content
- Course schedule Semester 1 2013 [NEW!]
- Professional development
To contact QTEC call 07 3512 9000 or email qtec@qtu.asn.au
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Branch Resources
Quick links for branches and area councils:
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Committees
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QTU Library
One of the great benefit of QTU membership is access to the QTU library.
Find out more about the library's great collection and how to order and request books online here.
You can visit us at
21 Graham Street, Milton Q 4064
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm -
Events, Conferences, Meetings
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Member Groups
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TAFE
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QTU Offices
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Qld Retired Teachers' Assoc.
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Networks
- Care about your profession and want to help shape its future?
Join the new Professional Issues Network Group (PING) now! - To join one or more of the QTU social issues networks: Peace and International; Environmental; GLBTI teachers; Social Justice Issues; and Socially disadvantaged groups. please complete this form.
- Care about your profession and want to help shape its future?
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Right to teach/Right to Learn

