Students at the Karen Young Women's Leadership School

Literacy is a right and provides a platform for learning, working and leisure throughout our lives.

Yet despite global commitments to improve access to education for women and girls, high female illiteracy rates persist in many countries in Asia and the Pacific. The exclusion of women and girls from literacy and basic education increases their vulnerability to social marginalisation and gender based violence.

Each additional year of education increases the likelihood that a woman will have more power and control over her reproductive life, better negotiating power within her family and community and improved health outcomes.

IWDA’s literacy programs provide essential functional skills and a vehicle for knowledge about human rights and equity issues.

These programs work to:

• increase women’s self confidence
• provide tools with which they can access and understand governance and markets
• strengthen their capacity to participate in decision making processes within communities

Through local partners and institutions, IWDA will continue to work to reduce the high levels of illiteracy among women and girls in the Asia Pacific region.