Overview

South Asia consisting of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives, contains 22 percent of humanity, while her share of the global real income is only 6 percent.

The report published by The Human Development Centre, titled Human Development in South Asia 1977, says that South Asia is fast emerging as the poorest, the most illiterate, the most malnourished, the least gender sensitive, indeed the most deprived region in the world.

The adult literacy rate in South Asia is 48 percent which is the lowest in the world. Thus the region has the massive share of the world's total illiterate population.

There are more children out of school in South Asia than in the rest of the world and two thirds of this wasted generation are female.

Apart from being illiterate, women bear the greatest burden of human deprivation in South Asia. There has been very limited investment in improving the basic capabilities of women and enabling them to take full opportunities in life. The access to political, economic and social opportunities reflected by the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) very clearly shows the deprivation of South Asian women. South Asia's GEM Index stands at 0.23 which is the lowest value among all regions of the world.

Illiteracy among women and girls have further aggravated their already disadvantaged situation and further increased their inequality in getting the economic, social, and cultural benefits.

For most part, the neglect and deprivation of South Asian women is related to their perceived low status in society. In general women in South Asia are exploited and neglected . There is a belief that boys have more of a right to education and need it more than girls.

Many people still believe that girls should grow up only to raise families. Women's lack of education and illiteracy has contributed to their lack of power.

There are however, variations in the region.

Pakistan ranks lowest in the region in most gender related human development indicators. It's female literacy rate is only 23 per cent and female enrolment only 16 percent. Over two thirds of Pakistan's adult population is illiterate and 17 million children were out of school in 1995.

In India the adult literacy rate increased from 34 % to 51 % between 1970 and 1993. Yet 291 million adults are still illiterate and in 1995 45 million children were still out of Primary school.

Bangladesh with a very high population density and has nearly two thirds of all adults illiterate and 29 million of her children out of school. 63 percent of all adults are illiterate whilst 73 % of female adults are illiterate.

In Nepal the adult literacy rate is 26 percent and is the lowest in the region and the fourth lowest in the world. The female literacy rate is half of this. That is only 13 per cent.

Sri Lanka's human development indicators are very impressive. There are virtually no gender disparities in either literacy or school enrolment. Adult literacy has increased from 77 % to almost 90 % in the last two decades. it is one of the highest in the developing world

In Maidives the adult literacy rate stands at 93% , with no gender disparities and is the highest in the region.

ASPBAE's role in Adult Education in the region

Asia South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education, with a history of over 33 years is a regional association for adult education and has five priority thematic areas.

They are:

Literacy , Post literacy and the Universalisation of Education,

Education for Women's Empowerment,

Environmental Education for Sustainable Development,

Peace and Human Rights Education and

Workers Education for Social Development

ASPBAE believes that literacy is a basic human right.

ASPBAE has given due consideration to the situation existing in the region and ASPBAE's programme on literacy was set up to provide a mechanism for exchange and learning , contributing towards enhanced competencies of literacy providers ( NG0s Government Institutions, Schools) in addressing the persistence of illiteracy.

ASPBAE's Literacy Programmes have underscored the following critical concerns:

1) the need to promote efforts to ensure greater visibility to adult education 's role in the universalisation of literacy

2) women and girls literacy in relation to empowerment strategies

3) institutional arrangements in large scale literacy programmes: addressing the roles of the state, NG0s, schools and institutions

4) the need to mainstream empowerment approaches to literacy critical. literacy

Several Regional work shops were convened for this purpose. Most of these regional activities were co-ordinated with the International Literacy Support Services Programme of the ICAE.

Several sub- regional workshops were also convened in South Asia bringing together a cross section of literacy providers.

Through the Literacy programme, ASPBAE was able to contribute to the continuing efforts to define alternative integrated and broad based strategies on literacy, post literacy and continuing education..

Under the programme on Women's Empowerment Education, the workshop titled Towards Empowering Approaches to Literacy Education for Women, provided a platform for debate on issues relating to women's education.

Critical Issues in women's literacy in South Asia

The definition of literacy itself is debated. Literacy means several things to several people. Within ASPBAE the definition of Literacy has the following strategic notions: -

"empowering, transformative, promotes critical awareness, functional elements related / relevant to life / survival skills".

Problem of identification of the illiterate due to the ambiguous definition of illiteracy, whether it is in terms of the ability to read and write or in terms of being functional.

The issue of motivation of participants in literacy programmes, both the ]earners and the teachers.

From the point of view of the learners the relevance and effectiveness of literacy is important. The demand for literacy must come from an on going process of empowerment for women, as illiteracy is a barrier to empowerment . The learner must realise that Illiteracy severely handicaps women's access to a range of knowledge and information which lead to empowerment and in the context of empowerment, literacy is not an end in itself but a means in the struggle for change. Literacy should give people greater .access to information as this expands their opportunities for personal growth, development and empowerment.

From the point of view of literacy teachers, often the unpaid volunteers get dispirited and give up. Their lack of time, lack of appropriate training, lack of funding and lack of values and commitment are issues that hinder success of literacy programmes.

The issues regarding the pedagogy of literacy which must change from being traditional to being more empowering. The content and methods used in most literacy programmes are still mainly on the 3 R's of reading, writing and arithmetic. Empowering education is a process where by new knowledge , information and skills are acquired of which literacy is an important component.

Traditional forms of teaching learning methods in literacy . The methodology for imparting literacy must break out of these traditional methodology and be more appropriate and innovative and be flexible and responsive to women's pace for learning and linked closely to women's lives and experiences.

Problems in existing curricula where the learner is not able to cope with difficult and large components of the curriculum . The need for the curriculum to be broken down into small easily mastered parts to create a sense of immediate achievement. and the development of critical thinking and analytical skills to enable women to reach out to a larger world view through access to global information and ideas.

The question of functionality. How is the programme going to help the learners. The learners need a productive endeavour from which they can benefit.

The issue of legal literacy where awareness of human rights, women's rights, rights of the child, democracy and democratic rights, awareness of legal rights and laws affecting women, including laws regulating marriage, divorce, inheritance, rape, sexual harassment, violence against women, dowry, land, and forest laws, labour laws etc., rights, duties and functioning of law enforcement - judiciary and police, how to seek legal redress and legal aid, should be important parts in the content of literacy lessons.

The issue of Individual learning as against collective learning and the teaching learning environment which should be one of fun and joy.

The present situation where women's existing knowledge and skills is de -valued in most parts of South Asia and the low acceptance of women's self esteem and confidence.

The mystification of literacy as something attainable by only the skilled and those with high intelligence / intellectual capability which also leads to de motivation of learners.

The existence of a hierarchy of power between teacher and learner and the need for literacy for women being need based and gender sensitive.

The existence of male biases that need to be overcome.. Women's empowerment through literacy may be considered a threat by men.

The lack of political commitment and will with regards to women's literacy.

The issue of traditional cultures in the region which are not prepared to accept changes, especially those that will come as a result of women's literacy.

Women's lack of time to attend classes. income generating often supersedes learning to read and write.

Often literacy centres are situated a fair distance away from the homesteads. - women find it difficult to allocate time to walk long distances and the issue of security when travelling longer distances due to the high incidence of violence against women in this region.

Existing structures which are not geared for successful literacy campaigns for women.

Sources: Human Development in South Asia 1977 - HDC Oxford

ASPBAE Reports - Secretary General.

Darwin Declaration - ASPBAE 1996 Report of the Asia - Pacific

Regional Literacy Consultation , Orissa June 1997 ILSS - ICAE Report 1997

National Consultation on Non Formal Education Aug 1996 UP ISMED Sponsored by ASPBAE

Education for Women's Empowerment July 1996 - ASPBAE

Contact Info:

Sujatha Wijetilleke
ASPBAE
Sri Lanka