Sister to sister across the Asia-Pacific
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 1, 14 February 2025, page no 8.
As Vice-President of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) and Chair of the Union’s Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee (WTGEC), I am able to contribute to meaningful initiatives that advance gender equality both locally and globally.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my role is engaging in international work that builds collaboration and solidarity among women educators.
In November 2024, I co-facilitated the first Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) region “Sister-to-Sister” training program for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) network of education unions in Bangkok, alongside Nicole Calnan (Deputy Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union) and Undarmaa Batsukh (Regional Co-ordinator EIAP). The three-day workshop followed on from the ASEAN network at the inaugural EIAP Women’s Conference in July.
Stepping into a foreign country and navigating new cultural contexts pushed the boundaries for me, teaching me as much about myself as it did about others and reminding me of the importance of adaptability, humility, and finding strength in collaboration.
Working with EI also broadened my perspective and reinforced the value of building global networks.
Prior to the workshop, each of the participants was surveyed to help identify the priority areas that a gender equity workplan would need to address. Gender-based violence (GBV) in the workplace, was a predominant issue for these women.
The training course focused on intentional coaching (a coaching style that creates personalised plans to help clients achieve their goals), identifying realistic goals for the end of 2026 and developing a plan to achieve those goals.
The ASEAN Women’s network shared purpose is to connect, support and strengthen through collaboration and collective action by the exchange of ideas, shared experience and capacity building to achieve gender equality and empowerment.
Each of the women brought their own experiences and perspectives from their workplace and union to the table, and it is clear that some unions do not even have a gender equity policy.
With that in mind, sessions were crafted to scaffold participants with topics such as coaching and organising, key issues for women including GBV, getting women’s issues on the agenda, structures for power building, setting smart goals, and sister to sister intentional coaching.
By the end of Day 3, three strategic goals were developed. By the end of 2026, the EI ASEAN network aims to have:
- increased awareness and engagement with women leaders
- strengthened network participation in gender equality advocacy and coaching
- developed and launched a functioning online platform for resource sharing, with quarterly online meetings.
The workshop concluded with a reflection session at which participants shared their key takeaways, with many expressing their newfound confidence in their ability to lead gender equality initiatives and provide mentoring to other women unionists.
The program is a step towards empowering women educators, building their solidarity and fostering leadership within the union movement.
As participants return to their unions, they carry with them the knowledge, skills and inspiration to drive meaningful change. Together, they are shaping a stronger, more inclusive future for education.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to focus on improving women’s security and their confidence and to see real potential for brighter futures. The sense of community that comes from working with educators across borders creates a powerful foundation for collective action and shared purpose.
Working with these women has inspired me to think deeply about what we can achieve in 2025 and beyond. Whether it’s strengthening gender equity initiatives within our own union or supporting the growth of women leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, the lessons learned from this program will inform the work ahead.
Leah Olsson
Vice-President
