Article on the importance of female literacy
Answers
Answered by
7
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations declares literacy a basic human right. In India, however, 50 percent of the women cannot read or write. For a country that has had phenomenal growth rates for the last several years, it also has some of the most shocking statistics when it comes to education. The number of illiterate people in India is the highest in the world.
National literacy in India is currently 64 percent and according to UNESCO, India ranks in the bottom five in female literacy next to countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. According to Nandan Nilekani’s book “Imagining India,” while India produces the second largest number of engineers in the world every year, it also has the largest number of school dropouts. So while India has a lot of work to do in education, it also has existing internal human capital and private sector resources it can leverage to reduce the disparity in education and wealth.
The first step
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recognizes that the collapse of schools and education in India is a deep crack in India’s foundation and growth. On September 8, 2009, International Literacy Day, Mr. Singh launched “Saakshar Bharat” (Literacy India). This mission will invest over US$1.3 billion with a goal to educate 70 million people, 60 million of them women, by 2012. The long-term goal is to take national literacy to 80 percent by 2017 and reduce the gender gap from 21 percent to 10 percent (male literacy is currently 75 percent). This colossal program will require 10 million teachers (only matriculated graduates and above to be recruited), three million managers, seven million literacy centers and 210 million books. Under the Saakshar Bharat program, women will also be taught basic life skill training to make their lives more sustainable. Village Panchayats will play a key role in implementing the mission by involving local communities, NGOs and civil society.
There is a strong correlation between female literacy and population growth and overall health indicators. Mr. Singh believes that female literacy is “absolutely necessary to empower the Indian woman in her every day struggle in dealing with multiple deprivations on the basis of class, caste and gender.” He is committed to making all women literate in next five years, with a particular focus on women in Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and other disadvantaged groups.
National literacy in India is currently 64 percent and according to UNESCO, India ranks in the bottom five in female literacy next to countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. According to Nandan Nilekani’s book “Imagining India,” while India produces the second largest number of engineers in the world every year, it also has the largest number of school dropouts. So while India has a lot of work to do in education, it also has existing internal human capital and private sector resources it can leverage to reduce the disparity in education and wealth.
The first step
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recognizes that the collapse of schools and education in India is a deep crack in India’s foundation and growth. On September 8, 2009, International Literacy Day, Mr. Singh launched “Saakshar Bharat” (Literacy India). This mission will invest over US$1.3 billion with a goal to educate 70 million people, 60 million of them women, by 2012. The long-term goal is to take national literacy to 80 percent by 2017 and reduce the gender gap from 21 percent to 10 percent (male literacy is currently 75 percent). This colossal program will require 10 million teachers (only matriculated graduates and above to be recruited), three million managers, seven million literacy centers and 210 million books. Under the Saakshar Bharat program, women will also be taught basic life skill training to make their lives more sustainable. Village Panchayats will play a key role in implementing the mission by involving local communities, NGOs and civil society.
There is a strong correlation between female literacy and population growth and overall health indicators. Mr. Singh believes that female literacy is “absolutely necessary to empower the Indian woman in her every day struggle in dealing with multiple deprivations on the basis of class, caste and gender.” He is committed to making all women literate in next five years, with a particular focus on women in Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and other disadvantaged groups.
Similar questions