This week’s SoroptiVoice Blog comes from Helen Owen, SIGBI Assistant Programme Director
for Education. Helen is a member of SI Runcorn, Frodsham and District in the UK. Here she talks about the importance of supporting International Literacy Day and projects which support literacy in countries and communities where this vital life skill is lacking.
Literacy is the heart of a basic education. Educational opportunities
depend on being literate -having the ability to read and write. According to UNESCO statistics two thirds of
the 796 million illiterate adults are women while more than half of the 67.4
million children out of school are girls. Everyone has the right to be literate
and educated (article 26 Declaration of Human Rights).
On the occasion of International Literacy Day 8th September
2010 UNESCO’s Director-General Irina
Bokova said “Investing in women’s literacy carries very high returns: it
improves livelihoods, leads to better child and maternal health, and favours
girls’ access to education. In short newly literate women have a positive
ripple effect on all development indicators. This international day aims to
mobilize everyone’s attention to the urgent need for increased commitment to
literacy, especially for girls and women.”
Clubs across our
Federation (SIGBI) mark International Literacy Day by raising awareness of
issues surrounding literacy, raising funds or donating books to schools that
need them. A look through the programme reporting database reveals a wide
variety of ways in which they do this. These include holding play and poetry
readings, book stalls, book swaps, poster competitions, donating books, service
projects in school such as listening to children read and encouraging
(mentoring) older girls to continue with their studies
In the UK many
clubs have been marking this day by raising funds in partnership with Book Aid
International (BAI). BAI believe that
‘Books Change Lives’. It is a relatively small charity that does tremendous
work in increasing access to books and supporting literacy, education and
development in sub-Saharan Africa. They believe that access to books is
crucial to improving and maintaining literacy and providing information which
cannot be obtained from other sources, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Photos are from Book Aid
International.
On average it costs just £2 (approx $3.2) for BAI to source, select,
pack and ship one book to schools and libraries in some of the poorest areas of
the world. Examples of their work are providing books for mobile library
projects which strongly – although not exclusively – target girls, sourcing and
supplying relevant books and documents for a Women’s’ Resource Centre in
Zimbabwe and Women’s Reading Club projects in partnership with the Malawi
National Library Service. The reading clubs are designed to help women
strengthen their literacy skills and access information which can improve their
daily lives.
In today’s information based society,
imagine how difficult life must be if you are not literate. Just think how
often each day your actions include the use of this essential skill. Marking International
Literacy Day is one way of highlighting this issue and reminding ourselves of
the women and girls who are still not literate.
Helen Owen
SIGBI Assistant Programme Director
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/
http://www.ungei.org/index.php