Global Literacy Matters

You would be hard pressed to find a country that has escaped the economic crisis unscathed. The economic crisis is indeed a global crisis. There are no winners. However, there are certainly losers; some, bigger losers than others. Since 2001, the gender-wage ratio has not improved. "Women are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. The disparity is even greater for women of color: African-American women make 62 cents and Latinas make only 53 cents for every dollar of male earnings." [1] It is apparent that around the world, women have experienced the brunt of the economic crisis. " The global economic crisis is expected to plunge a further 22 million women into unemployment, which would lead to a female unemployment rate of 7.4 percent. " Further, given that women have a limited access to education, they tend to work lower paying jobs. And with a lack of education, they tend to have fewer skills and will ultimately end up out of work sooner. Unfortuna...

ProLiteracy's partners in Kenya recently celebrated Adult Learners' Week at the beginning of September. Once a year, members of the literacy community and staff of Kenya Adult Learners' Association (KALA) get together to celebrate the accomplishments of adult learners and raise awareness of about adult illiteracy. This year the event coincided with International Literacy Day. It was also the first time that KALA collaborated with the Kenyan government for Adult Learners Week. Adult learners were encouraged and given the opportunity to share their personal stories. Participants realized that they too have the voice and power to speak, and be advocates for their rights to sustainable education through participation and interaction with other adult learners from Kenya and outside of the country. Literacy has enabled them to become self sufficient because they can now bake breads, cakes, and run income generating businesses to support their families. Their lives have been chan...