female literacy essay

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Literacy is Key to Women’s Equality

Today is International Women’s Day, a time to recognize the achievements of women worldwide, and to advocate for all of the progress yet to be made.

For many women, the cornerstone of that potential progress is improved literacy. Worldwide, 493 million women can’t read . As a result, they are disadvantaged economically and socially, with unequal access to and engagement with education, jobs, and healthcare. The facts are clear : literate women are more likely to send their children to school, have better maternal health, make better healthcare decisions for their children, and economically improve their communities.

With such staggering worldwide statistics, the need for improved literacy for women tends to be spoken about in global terms with a focus on developing countries. But in developed countries, we often fail to realize the serious need for improved literacy that surrounds us. Every day in America, millions of women are affected by the barriers of low literacy.

The inability to read is usually what comes to mind when we think of illiteracy, but having low literacy skills (as 36 million American adults do ) is just as much a threat to a woman’s independence and safety. Beyond-basic literacy and numeracy skills are required for financial literacy, a key factor in women achieving financial independence and preventing financial abuse in domestic relationships.

Additionally, a woman’s literacy skills, if she has a family, are closely tied to the literacy of her children. More than any other factor, a mother’s reading skill is the greatest influence on her child’s future academic success.

It’s important to be aware of this familial effect. Of Seeds of Literacy’s more than 1,000 enrolled students in 2015, a little over half were female. Of those women, 64% said they have children younger than 18 in their home, compared to 39% of their male counterparts. In an even greater disparity, 47% of female students identified as a single parent or guardian, compared to just 8% of male students.

With children more present in women’s lives, women are, in turn, more present in children’s lives. A mother’s literacy skills create a ripple effect for generations to come.

Women enrolled in Seeds of Literacy, and other adult literacy programs across the nation and across the world, are trying to be more for their families, and for themselves. Their decision to work through the fear of returning to classes and to stay dedicated while often facing the hectic struggles of family and poverty is brave and deserves our praise and support.

We talk about the effects a woman’s improved literacy has for her children and her community because they demonstrate the unique and expansive impact a woman has on those around her. We create a global disadvantage when we do not value and support women’s education.

Women, whether in Cleveland or Kabul, deserve literate lives not only because of what their literacy can give to others, but because of what literacy can give to themselves. A woman deserves opportunity and security, the chance to flourish in her life as any man would in his.

With a clear focus on supporting literacy in our communities, we can achieve this for all women, today and every day.

Your donation to Seeds of Literacy will support women working to reclaim their education .

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The power of literacy to give women a voice

Many women and girls face challenges in their daily lives, such as poverty, gender-based violence, and low self-esteem. Literature can provide young women and girls a space to seek refuge from the challenges they may face – but that can’t happen if they are illiterate.

Language is a globally powerful tool, which we use to share our thoughts, opinions and stories with one another. Access to the written word allows us to explore this even further. Most of us know that the power to learn, explore and grow through reading knows no bounds.

Literature has the power to transform lives. Whether it is reading poetry, novels, or textbooks, literature can show women and girls a world of possibility and excitement. 

How literature gives women a voice

As early as 620 BCE, Sappho came into our midst. Many know Homer as the great poet, but Sappho is indeed regarded by most as ‘the poetess’ and even the first feminist. Despite the boundaries provided by societies throughout time, literature has always been a space where women can have a voice. 

Further down the line, writers such as Mary Wollstonecraft – who published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792 – not only employed their literary voice in writing alone, but used it to directly address many political and moral issues associated with gender. This boldness to challenge inequality is a mindset many of us share, and literature is an amazing avenue to pursue this.

This power of literature gives women and girls the opportunity to find their own voice, and connect with others who are facing the same challenges they are. Whether we are exploring the world of South American literature with Isabel Allende’s wonderful novels diving into the genre of magical realism, or African literature with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s fiction and non-fiction diving into different elements of history and arguments, literature breaks through political, social, and personal barriers. Through literature,  women can share their opinions, experiences, and creativity.

Why literacy is important 

It is our mission to give young women and girls across the world access to high-quality education, including the ability to read and write. 

There are an estimated 771 million illiterate adults around the world, and 63% of them are women. In Nigeria, where WONDER has programmes, one in three young women cannot read a simple sentence. This not only has a large economic impact, as women will often end up in informal employment or exploitative work, but also a social one, as women may struggle with low self-esteem and lack of information to make decisions that are best for them.

Reflections on “refuge”

Throughout my time at WONDER, I have been constantly reminded of what a luxury my passion is – writing. Research into and writing about the importance of education for young women and girls and how this has the power to change lives inspires me to continue to be an advocate for sustainable change and use my literary skills to educate others. 

Throughout my life I have enjoyed writing poetry, music, and academic essays (particularly on gender studies in Greek drama and the ancient world in general). The ability to capture my thoughts in writing has been a source of joy and has constantly fed my curious nature. 

In my opinion, the value in literature is not quantifiable in how much you know, who you have met, or what you have done, but in how you see the world. The beauty in the difference of opinion lies in the varying single views and voices that are shaped by the individual lives we all lead. Every cloud we see in the sky marvelously differs in shape and size, every snowflake is unique, no interaction is the same. Each literary voice is different. The refuge that literature provides for every single person, should be something which we strive to make possible. 

In light of National Poetry Day, here is a piece I wrote about female identity:

Do I look skinny enough,

Delicate enough,

Strong enough,

Tough enough?

Do I fit the mold

Of looking young,

Yet mature and old?

Do I speak softly

With enough 

Power, authority?

Do I love gently

Whilst still

Not bending

To the words 

Whilst still admitting 

And you are right,

99% of the time?

Am I right 

In fitting your mold

Rather than creating mine?

I try and try!

But it’s not

In which I can 

Thrive – 

The battle of fitting 

A mold as sure as wax,

I melt into what I should be

But don’t relax.

Try again –

Tell me to be

Her or this or that!

I’m telling you,

I’m done fitting 

Into your silly little box.

My identity knocks

At the door.

I’ve been close to

Opening it before –

But I think

It’s finally time

To try again .

Author: Poppy Worlidge

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Women, Literacy and Development: Overview

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• Anna Robinson‐Pant 3  

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Introduction

The belief that women's literacy is the key to development has informed government and international aid agency policy and programmes around the world. In the poorest countries, the gap between male and female literacy rates has led policy makers to focus on increasing women's as opposed to men's access to literacy, through programmes designed particularly around women's reproductive role. Researchers have been concerned to find statistical evidence that there are the positive connections between female literacy rates and health indicators such as decreased child mortality and fertility rates.

The assumption that illiterate women cannot participate fully in development programmes has led to literacy classes being set up as the entry point to health, nutrition, income generation, community forestry and family planning interventions. This objective has often influenced the curriculum: many women's literacy programmes adopt a functional literacy approach, linking literacy...

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Robinson‐Pant, A. (2008). Women, Literacy and Development: Overview. In: Hornberger, N.H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30424-3_44

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