UN Secretary-General's Message on International Literacy Day
New York, 8 September 2010


联合国秘书长潘基文2010年国际扫盲日致辞
2010年9月8日 纽约 联合国总部


This year's observance of International Literacy Day highlights the central role of literacy in the empowerment of women. Literacy transforms the lives of women, their families, communities and societies. Literate women are more likely to send their children, especially their girls, to school. By acquiring literacy, women become more economically self-reliant and more actively engaged in their country's social, political and cultural life. All evidence shows that investment in literacy for women yields high development dividends.


今年的国际扫盲日纪念活动突出展示识字在增强妇女能力方面的中心作用。识字改变妇女的生活，也改变她们的家庭、社区和社会。识字的妇女更有可能把子女尤其是女孩送去上学。通过识字，妇女在经济上变得更加自力更生，更积极地参与自己国家的社会、政治和文化生活。所有证据都表明，投资开展妇女扫盲能带来很高的发展红利。


Women's literacy has gained greater prominence on political agendas over the past decade, ever since the World Education Forum, in Dakar, at which governments set the goal of halving the number of adult illiterates by 2015. The UN Literacy Decade, running from 2003 to 2012, has given further impetus to reducing illiteracy. Illiteracy rates are dropping, yet approximately one adult in six is still unable to read or write; two out of three illiterate adults are women.


在达喀尔世界教育论坛上，各国政府提出了到2015年将文盲成年人的人数减少一半的目标。在论坛举办以来的过去十年里，妇女扫盲在政治议程上的地位更加突出。联合国扫盲十年(2003年至2012年)为减少文盲提供了进一步推动力。文盲率正在下降，但六个成年人中大约有一个仍然不会读写；文盲成年人中三分之二是妇女。


The world needs increased funding and sustained advocacy for quality literacy programmes that empower women and ensure that girls and boys at primary and secondary level do not become a new generation of young illiterates. The International Literacy Prizes awarded by UNESCO today to programmes in Cape Verde, Egypt, Germany and Nepal are examples of excellence and innovation. Each is tangible proof of literacy's profound and positive influence on women living in very different circumstances – from rural environments to immigrant urban communities. Such programmes deserve to be widely replicated and expanded.


全世界需要为旨在增强妇女能力的高质量扫盲方案提供更多资金，开展持续的宣传，并确保小学和中学阶段的女童和男童不会成为新一代青年文盲。教科文组织今天把国际扫盲奖授予佛得角、埃及、德国和尼泊尔的方案，把这些方案作为卓越和创新的典范。每一个方案都实实在在地证明了识字对生活环境迥异(从乡村环境到移民城市社区)的妇女产生的深远而积极的影响。这种方案应该得到广泛效仿和推广。


Every literate woman marks a victory over poverty. On this International Literacy Day I urge governments, donors, non-governmental organizations and all development partners to make literacy accessible to women everywhere. Literacy is an essential foundation for development and prosperity. Empowering women through literacy empowers us all.


每一个识字妇女都是对贫困的一次胜利。值此国际扫盲日之际，我敦促各国政府、捐助者、非政府组织和所有发展伙伴使给世界各地的妇女带去文化。识字是发展和繁荣必不可少的基础。通过扫盲增强妇女的能力，就是增强我们所有人的能力。