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Building digital skills
Study Circles are changing the lives of women in Nepal – and inspiring others. We speak to two women who are in Study Circles with CLASS Nepal, and learn how they gained the skills and confidence. Read more.
Study Circles are changing the lives of women in Nepal – and inspiring others. We speak to two women who are in Study Circles with CLASS Nepal, and learn how they gained the skills and confidence. Read more.
You can also download our Study Circles for Social Change Information Packet and find out about forming your own Study Circle.
Foundation Skills for Social Change Programme
Build your skills for leadership and social change through IFWEA’s Foundation Skills for Social Change Programme. Explore our course catalogue in organisational development, digital skills, leadership, popular education, and labour movement issues designed for grassroots leaders and worker educators worldwide. Click here.
Strengthen your organisation or union
IFWEA offers dynamic online learning opportunities for trade unions, NGOs, community organisations, worker educators, and social justice movements worldwide. Download the IFWEA e-learning programme here.
IFWEA offers dynamic online learning opportunities for trade unions, NGOs, community organisations, worker educators, and social justice movements worldwide. Download the IFWEA e-learning programme here.
Our services include Moodle platform set up and management, and training for Moodle administrators and online educators.
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WHO WE ARE
IFWEA is the only international organisation for worker educator associations. We provide a global space for workers to share resources and deepen their understanding of the transformative role of trade union and community struggles.
WHAT WE DO
We provide global education to trade unions and member-based associations in worker communities. Our programmes include Study Circles, Certificate Courses and an annual youth leadership project (YGAP).
ACTIVITIES AND COURSES
From Digital Skills to Study Circles to Leadership: Find out what programmes, courses, workshops and other activities are part of IFWEA’s schedule of activities. We also teach you how to design your own courses.
STUDY CIRCLES
Study circles enable small groups to learn together about how to advance their interests. They are essential for grassroots leaders to build up vibrant, democratic organisations. IFWEA study circles cover a range of topics including training for shop stewards, moderating online workshops, IT skills and more.
FOUNDATION SKILLS
The Foundation Skills for Social Change (FSSC) certificate programme is for leaders in trade unions and community organisations. The courses, designed by IFWEA affiliates with specific expertise, are user-friendly, relevant and practical. They include topics such as women’s leadership, and how to design online courses
OLA
The IFWEA Online Labour Academy (OLA) is an online education platform used by IFWEA affiliates to design and deliver online workplace, social and political education to their constituencies. The platform is highly flexible, allowing for a wide range of activities and resources to be used in courses. These can be moderated or self-managed.
YGAP
The Youth Global Awareness Programme (YGAP) is a vibrant exposure and exchange programme for young members of IFWEA affiliates and associated labour organisations. The programme develops the next generation of worker educators to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. To find out more about our YGAP programme, click the button below.
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(opens in a new tab)International Federation of Workers' Education Associations
Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations - ZCIEA National President Stella Chivandikwa participated in the StreetNet International African Regional Meeting in Accra, Ghana, where 35 representatives of street vendors, market traders, hawkers and informal economy workers’ organizations across 24 countries from Southern, Eastern, Western and Central African Regions met to strengthen social protection and develop coordinated advocacy strategies. The Regional Meeting was hosted by the Union of Informal Workers Associations (UNIWA), from 24 - 26 August, 2026, and was supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation as part of StreetNet International’s global social protection project.This regional meeting was chaired by StreetNet International President Lorraine Ndlovu who called for unity and collective action, saying, “We are stronger together. Our collective voice can move mountains and change policies that have long excluded us.”The Chamber That Delivers#NothingForUsWithoutUs
IFWEA affiliate Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union makes it super easy to join the union!We are proud to announce the launch of our new website. With the new platform , you can directly join MANWU by a click of a button. Visit manwu.org/ and fill in your membership form. BWI Global UnionIFWEASanchez Shidinifa MatiasMinistry of Justice and Labour RelationsNational Union of Mineworkers NAPWUNamibian PresidencyNBC Digital NewsJustina JonasIndustriALL Global UnionNamibia Building Workers Pension Fundund
Study Circles get together.During the month of August members of WEINU - Workers in Informal Economy Network Uganda - got together for a series of Study Circles on bargaining and negotiating, in partnership with IFWEA.
Want your own Moodle platform but worried about the cost?We've created a practical solution.Start with your own branded learning space on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy.Benefits include:✔ Lower startup costs✔ Faster course launch✔ Professional support✔ Easy migration to your own Moodle platform when you're readyIt's the perfect first step for organisations beginning their digital learning journey.Contact us on secretariat@ifwea.org to f#moodle #elearningo#DigitalTransformationl#NGOsformation #NGOs________________________________________
✅ The Work You Don’t See Still Contributes to the Economy.In August, IFWEA affiliate Labour Education Foundation (LEF)brought together more than 25 home-based women workers in Lahore for an orientation session creating a space for women to speak about the realities behind their work.They shared that from packing hairpins and making combs to embroidery, brush-making, mask work, and preparing vermicelli, these women spend hours producing goods for markets while earning as little as PKR 6,000–7,000 a month. Some reported receiving just PKR 1.50 per comb, PKR 250 for 1,000 masks, and PKR 50 per dozen bands.But the struggle is not only about wages. Due to their barely acknowledged work, and barely sufficient earnings their struggle also involves:● Rising food, electricity and healthcare costs● Long hours of unpaid and underpaid work● Double burden of household and income-generating responsibilities● Little to no access to social protection● Limited knowledge of labour rights● Occupational health and safety risks● Restricted mobility and access to markets● Limited opportunities for education and decision-makingThey work. They earn. They contribute. They are workers.Yet because their workplaces are their homes, their labour remains largely invisible, and their rights often remain out of reach.The session highlighted the urgent need for fair piece-rate wages, legal recognition, social protection, safer working conditions, access to markets and stronger collective organisation for home-based women workers. Home-based work is still work. And every worker deserves dignity, protection and a fair return for their labour.