Mrs. Laura Bush Commemorates International Literacy Day 2010

The UN celebrated International Literacy Day today as an annual occasion to highlight women’s global empowerment through literacy and “pay tribute to the women and men who work behind the scenes who help others acquire literacy skills and enter a world of opportunities.”

In commemoration of the day’s celebration, Mrs. Laura Bush, Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade and UNESCO Director General, Mrs. Irina Bokova, reminded the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Girls still account for more than half of the 67.4 million out-of-school children in the world, and two-thirds of the 796 million adult illiterates are female. 

A former librarian, Mrs. Bush called on the global community to recognize women as more engaged members of their societies and better care-givers if they are given the opportunity to learn how to read and write.