International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day, celebrated on September 8, is an occasion to give hope to millions of men, women and children who can not even write his own name.

According to the Organization of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that worldwide there are 781 million illiterate adults. Of these, about 520 million are women. In addition to approximately 103 million children have no access to school and therefore are not learning to read, write and count.

The Global Monitoring Report on Education of UNESCO, published in 2006, the South and West Asia are those with higher rates of adult illiterates with 41.6 percent, followed by Africa with 40.3 percent and Arab States with 37.3 percent. Countries with higher rates of illiteracy are: Burkina Faso (87.2 percent), Niger (85.6 percent) and Mali (81 percent).

The study also shows a clear relationship between illiteracy and poverty severe. In countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Mozambique and Nepal, where 75 percent of the population survive on less than two dollars a day, the illiteracy rates are above 37 percent and the number of illiterate exceeds 5 million.