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.

”Women, Work, and Literacy. ERIC Digest No. 92.:
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed312456.html
From the introduction: “This ERIC Digest, based on publications of Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), portrays the extent of the problem of illiteracy among women, looks at the changing work force and its literacy needs, and describes a program model developed by WOW to address this issue.

”The Impact of College in a Maximum-Security Prison: Effects on Women in Prison, the Prison Environment, Reincarceration Rates and Post-Release Outcomes:
http://www.changingminds.ws/
From the Executive Summary: “A broad based multi-method research design was undertaken to document the impact of college within prison on women, the prison environment and women post-release. Changing Minds reveals the extraordinary personal, social and fiscal costs that all Americans pay today for not educating prisoners. This study offers national and local policymakers and activists a new policy direction that creates safer communities, reduces reincarceration rates, helps prisoners, their families and the prison environment.

American Association of University Women (AAUW):
http://www.aauw.org/
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a national organization that promotes education and equity for all women and girls. Though there are few research reports here that specifically apply to women and basic literacy, teachers and researchers may find some interesting reports here generally on gender and education. There are a few reports worth noting, especially:

Gaining a Foothold: Women's Transitions Through Work and College (released in 1999) examines how and why women make changes in their lives through education. The report profiles three groups--women going from high school to college, from high school to work, and from work back to formal education--using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Findings include an analysis of women's educational decision making, aspirations, and barriers. Based on Gaining a Foothold, AAUW's Transitions Conferences help women overcome obstacles to returning to school.

The Third Shift: Women Learning Online (2001). This report explores why women pursue education, how they balance work, family, and education and how technology can offer new opportunities for many women to achieve their educational goals.

ˇSi, Se Puede! Yes, We Can: Latinas in School (2000). This comprehensive report reviews the educational status and progress of Latinas in the United States, exploring the cultural conflicts between Hispanic children and the schools they attend. Available in English and Spanish / Tambien disponible en espanol.

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. Of particular interest:
http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbase/efa/progress.htm : This page shows the trends in literacy rates, numbers of illiterates and the gender gap in literacy abilities in the following countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Tonga.
http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbase/stats/overview/ov02.htm : This page shows adult literacy rates by gender and region.

A Closer Look at Women's Colleges:
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/WomensColleges/
Developed by the National Institute on Postsecondary Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning. From the introduction: "This publication is based on the roundtable discussion, "A Closer Look at Women's Colleges," which was held on January 15, 1998, in Washington, DC. Select education researchers from around the country were invited to participate and react to four commissioned papers presenting current research on women's colleges, as well as to discuss research issues pertaining to women's colleges and their place in the higher education community." Of special interest are chapters 2 (why women attend women's colleges) and 3 (research issues on women's colleges).



Dissertations
Women's Literacy Power: Collaborative Approaches to Developing and Distributing Women's Literacy Resources
http://www.litwomen.org/Dissertation/dissindex.html
WE LEARN (Women Expanding - Literacy Education Action Resource Network) This dissertation outlines the principles of feminist participatory action research and several tools of qualitative methods used to elicit viewpoints and knowledge of adult women learners and literacy workers, including librarians.

Finally… food for thought:
bell hooks and the politics of literacy: a conversation:
http://jac.gsu.edu/jac/14.1/Articles/1.htm
(JAC is a peer-reviewed journal publishing theoretical articles on a variety of topics related to rhetoric, writing, multiple literacies, and the politics of education.) In this particular article, bell hooks discusses academic writing, the importance of literacy and the feminist movement, and multicultural pedagogy .