The 2003 Australian Education Union Federal Women's Conference was held on Saturday and Sunday, 4 and 5 October at the FEU Building in Melbourne.

The AEU Federal Women's Conference is the peak discussion and policy-based forum for our Australian women unionists.

With a conference theme, 'Following through from 2002', our Keynote Address was given by Ms Darcel Moyle, AEU Federal Aboriginal Education Officer, which addressed the issues of contemporary challenges for Indigenous women and the need to take up the campaigns around these challenges, as well as the agenda for visibility/recognition/equality through the education sector.

Our other guest speakers included: Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli (Deakin University- Lecturer in Social Diversity in Health and Education) who spoke extensively on gender construction, the educational outcomes of boys and girls in schools and deconstructed notions of gender roles; Ms Cath Bowtell (ACTU Industrial Officer), who gave a report on the ACTU Test Case and how the AEU can play an important role in supporting it.

Human Rights Panellists:

1. Stancea Vichie – Hotham Mission, Asylum Seeker Project : refugee activism in all forms

2. Khyiah Angel – Technology teacher NSW: combating homophobia in schools

Both panellists spoke candidly about the human rights injustices that take place on a day to day basis not just in our communities but even in our schools, and gave practical ways to be come active around such issues, despite an ever increasing environment of time/energy shortages.

Recommendations passed by conference set the agenda for equity and educational opportunities for women and girls, and for the AEU's campaigns in 2004. A full list is available here.

Please find here, links to the conference agenda, list of workshops and a statement of history/values.