WHY and HOW literacy for women: some thoughts in the Indian context
Bhasin, K.
Adult Education and Development 24: 83-94
1985
Document Number: 341081
Before launching a nationwide movement to eradicate illiteracy among women, certain points need to be thoroughly discussed. In the context of the proposed movement in India there should be a clear analysis of the structure of poverty and exploitation which prevents 75% of the women from being literate and also from attaining equality with men. The paper suggests that the target of eradicating illiteracy by the year 2000 is totally unrealistic. It also suggests that literacy can be used as another tool to domesticate the poor and to perpetuate existing stereotypes of women by the type of primers used in literacy work. The methodology used in adult literacy is also criticized as being basically wrong and in effect anti-people. Finally, it is suggested that there is need for a campaign to empower the oppressed.