While the rapid economic, technological and social changes have created what has become known as the information society, a massive 771 million adults remain illiterate worldwide.
Almost all of these people live in developing countries, especially in South and West Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab states.
Globally, women make up nearly 64% of all illiterate adults. Most of them are from poorer sections of society.
How common is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for womens literacy training and what strategies can help ensure a project is successful?
Authors Anita Dighe and Usha Vyasulu Reddi in their new book brought out by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (as part of Commonwealth of Learning) titled: Womens Literacy and Information and Communication Technologies: Lessons that Experience has Taught Us, highlight the key findings on the role of ICT in reducing illiteracy among women.
In 2003, the United Nations launched the UN Literacy Decade (2003 to 2012) in an attempt to tackle this huge problem, and aimed at achieving UNESCOs goal of Education for All of increasing literacy rates by 50% by 2015.
As the relationship between illiteracy and poverty is well established, reaching the Literacy Decade goals is central to successfully achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Yet the interconnection between literacy and ICTs is currently not well understood by policymakers and literacy practitioners around the world.
The study provides a brief description of the status, trends and problems relating to application of technology to adult literacy, with a special focus on India.
The study analyses research experiences relating to the use of ICTs for womens programmes, the use of ICTs for poverty alleviation, and womens empowerment through ICTs, highlighting the lessons learnt.
The authors also offer a substantial list of strategies for using ICTs for womens literacy training.
Source: e-Gov monitor
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