1. Literacy and quality education are basic human rights. Tragically, two-thirds of
the 793 million illiterate people in the world are women and girls, yet only a small
fraction of available resources are dedicated to closing this gender-education
gap.
Globally, we have a lot to gain from educating women. According to USAID,
women’s education has caused a sharp decrease in mortality rates in children
under age five over the past four decades. Additionally, women and girls who
receive quality education are more likely to send their children to school than
those who do not. Educated women are also better able to protect their children
from HIV, malnutrition, and sexual exploitation.
The role of women as peacekeepers is also being increasingly recognized,
especially in developing countries. In 2013, the U.N. reported that in post-conflict
situations, women are at the forefront of peace negotiations and in rebuilding
societies both in local communities and at the national level, especially when the
women were educated. Economic participation by women as a result of the
investment in quality education for girls improves outcomes for entire
communities. In short, a world in which women are given the tools of literacy and
education they deserve is a world that is more sustainable and contains a
brighter future for all.
We know that women have the power to change the world. But despite obvious
gains, we still have a long way to go, as women and girls still do not have the
same educational opportunities as their male peers. In Afghanistan, for example,
there are only 66 girls enrolled for every 100 boys, and in Somalia, only 55 girls
are enrolled for every 100 boys. This disproportion is not a localized problem
limited to a few countries, but is evident across the globe.
LitWorld is a global nonprofit that has sought to lessen this divide and has
impacted girls in 25 countries with its literacy programs. This month, we are
partnering with Global G.L.O.W. (Girls Leading Our World) to launch the
HerStory campaign, a project that will provide girls with the opportunity to voice
their real and often unheard issues, hopes and dreams.
It is time to invest in women’s and girls’ futures. Literacy is not just about learning
the alphabet, but about cultivating creative expression and putting young girls’
stories into the world, thereby dignifying their experiences and giving them a
voice to change their own lives and all those around them.
Pam Allyn is a world-renowned literacy expert, author and motivational speaker.
She is the Executive Director and Founder of LitWorld, a groundbreaking global
literacy movement serving children across the United States and in more than 60
countries. Pam received the 2013 Scholastic Literacy Champion Award, and is a
Kellogg Foundation Fellow in Racial Equity and Healing.