Educating women has deep impact on national development-UNESCO

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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO), Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General, has said that educating women, particularly girls, has a deep impact on national development.
The view is contained in a statement issued by Ngozi Amanze, UNESCO National Programme Officer on Education on Monday.
The statement quoted Bokova as saying that reducing gender gaps would also facilitate the promotion of democracy.
“ In view of this, UNESCO and Procter and Gamble, manufacturer of Always sanitary towel, will, on March 10, launch a literacy project for women and girls in Nigeria.
“The project is tagged: Empowerment of Girls and Women in Literacy and Skills Development through ICTs,?? Bokova said.
She said that the project was aimed at providing 60,000 Nigerian girls and women with basic literacy and life skills.
Bokova added that it would also complement government?s efforts in revitalising literacy in the country through a self-benefiting Funds-in-Trust Project with UNESCO called,“ Revitalising Adult and Youth Literacy in Nigeria??.
According to the director-general, the ultimate beneficiaries of the project are girls and young women who cannot read or write because they did not attend school.
She said that strategies had been put in place to reach out to the female gender in the semi-urban low performing Junior Secondary Schools.
“The partnership between UNESCO and Always on this project will go a long way to ensure that girls are given every opportunity to succeed in life.
“Education is the best investment for any nation, especially, to encourage girls to go to school as staying in school is a fundamental factor for success.
“Education is a key to individual opportunity, national growth and dignity of self-reliance,?? she said.
Bokova said that increased female education would both empower individual women and contribute to improving the well-being of their children and transform the society itself.
“A mother?s education has significant impact on the life chances of her children. The more educated the mother, the healthier she and her child are likely to be,?? she said.
Bakova said that the project would be piloted in Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory.
She  said that the UNESCO Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2013/14 revealed that Nigeria was one of the countries with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world.
She added that the government of Nigeria had, however, developed and supported several interventions aimed at addressing these illiteracy challenges.

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