The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan’s literacy rate stood at 37.3% in 2022, with a sharp gap between men and women, the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Monday as it marked International Literacy Day.
According to UNESCO data cited by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, literacy among women was 22.6%, compared with 52.1% among men.
UNAMA said more than four decades of conflict and instability have significantly affected progress in literacy and education across Afghanistan, despite decades of support from UNESCO, other U.N. agencies and international partners.
The U.N. mission said Afghans continue to pursue literacy programs and acquire skills that can improve their daily lives and livelihoods.
UNESCO has worked since 2014 with Afghanistan’s education authorities to develop youth and adult literacy and basic education programs. The accelerated program provides learning materials across three levels equivalent to grades one through nine and is delivered through public institutions and community-based programs.
International Literacy Day is observed annually on Sept. 8. This year’s theme is “Literacy for People, Planet and Prosperity,” highlighting the role of literacy in improving lives and building more prosperous and sustainable societies.
