Female Illiteracy:

A Global Crisis Impacting the Participation of Girls and Women

Nadiya Omar
Intern 2010 - 2011
International Association of Schools of Social Work
United Nations
Illiteracy Overview
At the recently held World Literacy Day on September 8th, 2010, the United Nation for
Education, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) revealed that of the 796
million adult illiterates in the world, two out of every three is a woman (UNESCO, 2010).
These disproportionate statistics reveal that countries are losing out on productivity and
participation from women that is necessary to help them develop, prosper, and sustain
growth.
Although perceptions of what illiteracy is vary, UNESCO defines a literate person as
someone who can both read and write with understanding, a short, simple statement on
his or her everyday life. A person who can only read but not write, or can write but not
read is considered to be illiterate. A person who can only write figures, his or her name or
a memorized ritual phrase is also not considered literate (UNESCO, 2010).
Several factors such as culture, religious beliefs, and economic situations contribute to
the staggering global illiteracy rates among young girls and women. In many countries
around the world young girls are not educated because parents feel that they will get
married and it would be a waste to invest in them. Others do not send young girls to
school for safety reasons, in fear that she might get raped along the way thus leading to
dishonor for the family. Whatever the reason, this injustice has lifelong consequences for
young girls and women.
Global Impact
According to the UN Childrens Fund, only 15% of Afghan women can read and
write. The U.S. branch of Save the Children compiled a study naming Afghanistan as the
country with the worlds second highest infant mortality rate, with sixty out of every
1,000 babies dying as newborns, and 1 in 4 children dying before the age of five. Adding
to these staggering statistics, more than 25,000 Afghan women die during pregnancy or
childbirth every year (Gilbert, 2010). These deaths can be prevented if Afghani women
are literate and are aware of reproductive health issues and get proper access to services.
Amartya Sen, author of Development and Freedom, points to female literacy as having
an unambiguous and statistically significant reducing impact on under-five mortality
(197). When women are literate, they are more likely to seek out healthcare for
themselves and their children because they are aware of the symptoms of particular
illnesses and available treatments. Literate and educated women are also better equipped

to make decisions regarding their reproductive health through awareness and access to
birth control and family planning. Decreased child mortality rates coincide with a lower
fertility rate; and with fewer mouths to feed, more resources can be used to improve the
familys quality of life. (Gilbert, 2010).
Another country where a high proportion of women are illiterate is Pakistan. 67% of
Pakistani men are literate while only 40% of the women are literate (United Nations
Statistics Division, 2008). Illiteracy rates among females are far worse in rural Pakistan
where only 8% of the women are literate (Latif, 2010). This is mainly due to social and
cultural barriers. One of the most deplorable aspects is that in some places, particularly
northern tribal areas, the education of girls is strictly prohibited on religious grounds.
This is a gross misinterpretation of Islam, the dominant religion in Pakistan (96 per cent
of the population), which like all religions urges men and women to acquire education
(Latif, 2010). According to UNESCO (2010), the situation is most critical in the
Northwestern Frontier Province and Baluchistan. Some government organizations and
non-governmental organizations have tried to open formal and informal schools in these
areas, but the local landlords, even when they have little or nothing to do with religion or
religious parties, oppose such measures, apparently out of fear that people who become
literate will cease to follow them with blind faith. This is a clearly oppressive tactic used
against the Pakistani women. In order to keep them under control, they do not educate
them.
The disparity in literacy is not only prevalent in many developing Asian countries, but
also in many African countries. For example, in Guinea the literacy rate for men is 50%
and for women it is 26% (UN Statistics Division, 2008). The high concentration of
illiteracy is in rural areas and it impacts several sectors including education, health,
natural resource management and the local economy. Rural women affected by illiteracy,
which combined with the lack of access to micro credit are vulnerable to marginalization.
Approximately 80% of rural women in Guinea suffer serious financial difficulties and
have no access to credit (World Education, 2010).
Overall, the importance of the women around the world becoming illiterate is a crucial
step for both their personal and societal advancement. Literate women are more likely to
send their children, especially their girls, to school, become more economically selfreliant and more actively engaged in their countrys social, political and cultural life.
According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon (2010), Literacy is an essential
foundation for development and prosperity. All evidence shows that investment in
literacy for women yields high development dividends.
Successful Interventions
Many poor families do not send their daughters to school because they cannot afford
to do so, therefore educational programs that provide monetary stipends should be
advocated for. One in particular that has been very successful is Brazils Bolsa Familia
Program which pays families money to send their children to school and get medical
check-ups. The program allows the children to miss about 15% of classes. But if a child

gets caught missing more than that, payment is suspended for the whole family
(Economist, 2010). The program reaches 12.7 million families (or nearly 50 million
people) and is among the most effective social protection programs in the world, having
helped raise approximately 20 million people out of poverty between 2003 and 2009 and
well as significantly reducing income inequality. (World Bank, 2010). According to
Marcia Lopes (2010), Brazils Minister of Social Development and Hunger Alleviation,
Brazil was changed by Bolsa Famlia. The program touches the lives of millions of
families and contributed to a deep social and economic transformation of the country,
integrating millions of previously excluded people (World Bank).
Another country utilizing conditional cash transfers as an incentive to get poor families
to send their girls to school is Yemen. In order to encourage regular attendance, the
families only receive the money if the girls attend 80% of their classes each semester
(Relief Web, 2010). According to a 2006 UN Development Program report on Yemen, 43
percent of girls and 67 percent of boys were enrolled in primary, secondary and tertiary
education in the country. In addition, only 35 percent of girls were literate, compared
with 73 percent of boys (UNDP, 2010).
The Yemeni government's education strategy is very ambitious, as it aims to have 90
percent of all girls in school by the end of this year and 95 percent by 2015 (Relief Web,
2010). Their efforts should be applauded and supported by social workers because the
government is aware of how education for females can combat various social problems in
Yemen. The education ministry of Yemen states that when girls attain higher levels of
education, they will be aware of family planning and birth spacing, which is the key to
alleviating poverty. In addition many social problems, including early marriage and child
malnourishment, are symptomatic of the high female illiteracy rate in Yemen. By having
access to education and completing their education, girls will refuse to marry at an early
age. Also, their parents will not force their daughters to marry at a younger age when they
see them going to school with the support from conditional cash transfer program
(Relief Web, 2010).
Programs such as this and the Bolsa Familia need strong support from social workers
because they tackle several problems such as child labor, poverty, health, and illiteracy.
Investing in females at a young age is important because it determines the path she will
take into adulthood. If she is educated, she will want her kids to go to school and get jobs;
thus reducing generational poverty.
Role of Social Workers
The commitment of the social work profession to social justice requires closer
attention to womens rights as a means to promoting human rights. The staggering
number of illiterate females around the world is an extremely important issue to the
profession of social work. It is a social injustice that leads to marginalization, alienation,
oppression, and the deprivation of rights of females around the world. Many countries
deny or make it difficult for women to get an education perhaps so their voice can be

silenced. As a result, they are systematically left out of participating in important decision
making processes.
Social workers need to be more aware that illiteracy is a root cause of many social
problems that they are working to eradicate. As mentioned earlier, being illiterate
adversely impacts the quality life of a woman and her family. She cannot make important
decisions that may be in her best interest, is at higher risk of being misinformed by
others, and more likely to allow her children to work instead of go to school. Although
these are just a few things, they trigger other social problems that social workers are
working to alleviate such as poverty, maternal and child health, social exclusion, and
child labor.
Education is the foundation for building sustainable communities. Our profession aims
to empower marginalized groups and our efforts will be in vain in they are unable to
make important decisions or sustain the work we have done with them after we are gone.
Therefore social work needs to be involved in all levels of advocacy and training women
how to advocate for educational equality. On an international scale, social work
involvement can be in areas of advocacy for education policy changes in parts of the
world that limit young girls and women from accessing education. We can educate
governments on the short and long term benefits of having literate females in terms of
productivity, healthy families, and sustainability. On a local level, social workers can do
community outreach in areas prone to high female illiteracy and work with the locals to
develop culturally appropriate and sustainable literacy programs for females. Teaching a
woman to read and write should not be the only goal. Social Workers can use this as a
springboard to make them aware of the economic, political, and social issues around
them. In turn this can increase their participation and they can become the vehicles of
change within their communities.
Policy Statement on Illiteracy
Statistics after statistics show the disparity in literacy rates between males and females
around the world. In developing countries where the literacy rates are low in general,
females dramatically lag behind males. The two major factors contributing to this
disparity include cultural views on educating females and poverty. By denying females an
education at an early age is a violation of their basic human rights. As stated in Article 26
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary
and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and
professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be
equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Education shall be directed to the full
development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and
friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities
of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

In addition to being a human right, education is essential for achieving economic well
being. In order to combat other social injustices, the social work profession should be at
the forefront of this issue ensuring that females of all ages are provided a basic education
so that they can become productive members of society. We must advocate that the
following principles be included in international educational policies:
School fee waivers for children of families living in poverty.
Curriculum that is gender sensitive.
Enrollment policies that are inclusive of females.
Increase government spending on education.
Public campaigns promoting female education.
The design and implementation of schools should take into consideration the risks
of being female and ensure a secure environment.
School lunch programs as an incentive to get girls into school.
Installation of gender specific restrooms in school.
We must not let the females of the world settle for a life of disadvantage, rather we
must be their voice. In areas where cultural traditions prohibit females from going to
school, our job is to work with these communities to develop and implement culturally
appropriate educational programs for girls. In poverty stricken parts of the world, giving
parents a financial incentive to send their young girls to school instead of work can be
successful. No matter the barrier, we must break it down. It is our professional obligation
to uphold our code of ethics and bring justice and equality to the lives of the individuals
and communities in which we work for, near and far.

References
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