International & Multilingual
International: General
International Literacy Explorer :
http://www.literacyonline.org/explorer/sitemap.html
From their homepage: “This web site is designed to give you an overview of literacy and basic education issues and practices in an international context. The information found here can be used in a teacher training program. However, whether you are a teacher/practitioner, policymaker, or researcher, this web site offers ideas, discussions, and activities to enrich your thinking.”
Women in Literacy / Women in Action (ProLiteracy Worldwide):
http://www.womeninliteracy.org/index2.html
This homepage for Women in Literacy/Women in Action provides links to both Women in Literacy/USA as well as Women in Action, the continuation of ProLiteracy Worldwide's successful 10-year global initiative - Women in Literacy. (ProLiteracy Worldwide was formerly known as Laubach Literacy Action.)
Converse & Company:
http://www.converse.com.au/index.htm
The online newspaper of Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE), an Australian feminist network. “Our members come from higher education, vocational education (VET), and adult education in the community (ACE). We are students, teachers, coordinators, administrators, public servants, politicians and academics.”
International: Africa
Supporting Women's Use of Information Technologies for Sustainable Development:
http://www.idrc.ca/acacia/outputs/womenicts.html
From the introduction: “The central question of this study concerns African women's use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). This includes issues of access, the benefits African women experience and can expect to experience from ICTs, and the role they can and do play in the production and dissemination of information.” There is a short paragraph on overcoming illiteracy.
Women in Africa's Development: Overcoming Obstacles, Pushing for Progress: Africa Recovery/UN/Briefing Paper #11 (1998)
http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/bpaper/maineng.htm
International: Asia
Asian-Pacific Literacy Database (also has version in Japanese):
http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbase/
This database is jointly developed by the Asia/Pacific Cultural centre for UNESCO (ACCU) and UNESCO Bangkok - Asia and Pacific Bureau for Education in co-operation with government and non-government literacy agencies in the region. The Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) is a non-profit organization working for mutual understanding and cultural cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, in the fields of culture, book development and literacy promotion.
Covers these countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam.
This main site also has a specific area on women and girls:
Literacy Resource Centres for Girls and Women (LRC)
http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbase/literacy/lpd/lp3.htm
Baha'i Women's Institute, India - BARLI Vocational Institute For Rural Women, Indore, India: h
ttp://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2519/
From the website: “The Barli Vocational Institute for Rural Women was established in 1985 for the upliftment of rural and tribal women living in small communities in the districts around Indore. During the first few years of operation, it focused primarily on developing income-generating skills like producing small mats, incense sticks, dry leaf cups, candles, chalk sticks and handloom weaving. The organic growth of the Institute has enabled it to develop a comprehensive curriculum that empowers the women with the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives and the lives of their families, and the communities in which they live.”
Gender issues in literacy education:
http://ginkgo.cisti.nrc.ca:8080/collect/hdl/import/irma/iw108e/iw108e.htm
This is a working paper. From the text: “The problem of illiteracy is grave amongst women in India and other South Asian countries. Despite progress in female education over the past four decades, the vast majority of women have remained illiterate. What accounts for widespread illiteracy among women? Which factors contribute to sustaining women’s literacy? This paper highlights key gender issues in literacy education. It is divided into four sections. The first section articulates the conceptual framework that examines how gender subordination and poverty contributes to illiteracy among women in developing countries. The next two sections highlight salient observations on the interplay between gender and literacy on the basis of recent research and documentation on women’s literacy in India, while the final section discusses key gender concerns that need to be integrated in literacy planning.”
Manavi – South Asian Women
http://www.research.att.com/~krishnas/manavi/index.html
Manavi is an organization located in New Jersey and primarily serves communities in New Jersey. They also have an immigration program. According to their website: “Manavi is a non-profit organization for women who trace their cultural heritage to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Manavi's goal is to increase awareness of women's rights in society and encourage social change to end all violence against them. Its approach is nonjudgmental, nonreligious, and nonsectarian. Manavi is committed to the empowerment of South Asian women and thereby, dedicates its major efforts to facilitating women's quest for self-reliance and autonomy everywhere.”
Though their services are for the local community, they do have some resources that could be of service to other programs around the country. Most specifically, they have a number of resources on domestic violence available in several languages. For more information see their resource list: http://www.research.att.com/~krishnas/manavi/resource.htm
They also have a useful online FAQ sheet on violence and the INS:
http://www.research.att.com/~krishnas/manavi/faq.htm
International: Canada
NALD - National Adult Literacy Database (Canada):
http://www.nald.ca/
From their site: “The National Adult Literacy Database Inc. (NALD) is a federally incorporated, non-profit service organization which fills the crucial need for a single-source, comprehensive, up-to-date and easily accessible database of adult literacy programs, resources, services and activities across Canada. It also links with other services and databases in North America and overseas.” The site is available in both English and French.
Though this site has no section focused on women, a search in the Resource Catalog (http://www.nald.ca/search/library/Start.htm) produces a list of 200+ resources one can order or buy.
International: England & Wales
The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE): Promoting Adult Learning:
http://www.niace.org.uk
“Welcome to the leading non-governmental organization for adult learning in England and Wales.”
They also have a brief selection of references for women: http://www.niace.org.uk/research/women.htm “All of NIACE's work is relevant to women learners, however, the institute is involved in a number of projects and areas of work which are of specific interest to women.” From this page, you can also subscribe to their e-list on women and literacy called Women Learning. Also, a keyword search on their site for “women” yields 250+ resources.
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