One hundred and thirty million girls in South Asia will marry as children by 2030, ending their education and resulting in early pregnancies. More than half of women in the region – around 250 million – are illiterate. These women often must seek permission from their husbands to leave their homes for anything other than childcare or agricultural work.
A solution is growing in some of South Asia’s most remote corners: a safe space like a library. Libraries are perceived as neutral, legitimate places for women to gather. When this happens, women can learn skills, advocate for their rights, and change social norms in their communities.
Chuna Devi of Nepal is one of these women. She once said, “being born a girl is worthless.” But at the age of 47, she changed her life by finally learning to read at a READ Center, educating her daughters, and starting a women’s group. Today, her goal is to convince other women that it’s never to late to learn.
This holiday, you can empower a woman like Chuna: for just $100 you can put her through literacy training so she can become more independent and take better care of her family. Choose your impact at readglobal.org/empower.
