Nestlé, others tackle illiteracy among female traders
In celebration of the ‘International Literacy Day’, Nestlé Côte d’Ivoire and MTNon September 8 partnered with the Ministry of Education and UNESCO Office in Abidjan, to commence a joint project of functional literacy for 260 women traders through the use of Information Technology and Communication (ITC).
The Ministry of Education, UNESCO, NESTLÉ and MTN, demonstrated through the project, their commitment to reducing illiteracy rate in women and the education of young girls.
According to a survey on the living standards of households in 2015, the literacy rate in Côte d’Ivoire stands at 45 percent, though it varies in gender and income level of individuals. Thus, the literacy rate is 53.3 percent for males as against 36.3 percent in women. The literacy gap between men and women becomes even more important with poverty status.
Earlier initiatives for women’s literacy showed limitations due to their various social functions. They are mothers and wives and are often constrained by their social roles from attending literacy classes.
The Information Technologies and Communication (ITC) offers new learning opportunities and practical applications, which, when mastered, allows the learner to access knowledge and skills by herself or with minimum assistance from a supervisor.
The project targets female traders in Port Bouet and Yopougon markets and will be implemented over nine months – not only for the learners to acquire basic skills like reading, writing and arithmetic – but also life skills.
In 1966, UNESCO established the International Literacy Day to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.
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