Project Literacy, a global project that focuses on promoting and improving global literacy, recently reported on Morocco and it’s high literacy rates within the MENA region. Regularly seen as a prime example of progress in terms of encouraging literacy, especially amongst women, Morocco has experienced huge advancements in women’s rights over the last 15 years. A UNESCO estimate states that in 1990, only 41.6% of Moroccan population was literate, comparable to 56% in 2010.
Unfortunately, regardless of these commitments to progress and improvement of human rights and education, a disparity between men and women’s literacy in Morocco remains, especially amongst women living in more rural areas. A nationwide literacy program, entitled Mahou Al Omiyah (Erasing illiteracy), works tirelessly to not only erase illiteracy but to also shrink the gender gap of learning. A free program, courses are held in the evenings in Morocco’s public schools, and are geared towards adults who haven’t had access to education before.
The climb to literacy — for both men and women — is not an easy one. Especially with statistics showing that over 800 million people are illiterate globally (with 2/3 of them being women), but the rates at which Morocco has been dedicated to shrinking these numbers is encouraging for the remainder of the world and for the MENA region.
For more information: Visit Good’s official website and learn more about global illiteracy and programs developed to improve literacy rates everywhere. Become a champion of literacy and volunteer with Project Literacy.
