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

聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文2010年國際掃盲日致辭
2010年9月8日 紐約 聯(lián)合國總部

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.

今年的國際掃盲日紀念活動突出展示識字在增強婦女能力方面的中心作用。識字改變婦女的生活，也改變她們的家庭、社區(qū)和社會。識字的婦女更有可能把子女尤其是女孩送去上學。通過識字，婦女在經濟上變得更加自力更生，更積極地參與自己國家的社會、政治和文化生活。所有證據(jù)都表明，投資開展婦女掃盲能帶來很高的發(fā)展紅利。

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.

在達喀爾世界教育論壇上，各國政府提出了到2015年將文盲成年人的人數(shù)減少一半的目標。在論壇舉辦以來的過去十年里，婦女掃盲在政治議程上的地位更加突出。聯(lián)合國掃盲十年(2003年至2012年)為減少文盲提供了進一步推動力。文盲率正在下降，但六個成年人中大約有一個仍然不會讀寫；文盲成年人中三分之二是婦女。

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.

全世界需要為旨在增強婦女能力的高質量掃盲方案提供更多資金，開展持續(xù)的宣傳，并確保小學和中學階段的女童和男童不會成為新一代青年文盲。教科文組織今天把國際掃盲獎授予佛得角、埃及、德國和尼泊爾的方案，把這些方案作為卓越和創(chuàng)新的典范。每一個方案都實實在在地證明了識字對生活環(huán)境迥異(從鄉(xiāng)村環(huán)境到移民城市社區(qū))的婦女產生的深遠而積極的影響。這種方案應該得到廣泛效仿和推廣。

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.

每一個識字婦女都是對貧困的一次勝利。值此國際掃盲日之際，我敦促各國政府、捐助者、非政府組織和所有發(fā)展伙伴使給世界各地的婦女帶去文化。識字是發(fā)展和繁榮必不可少的基礎。通過掃盲增強婦女的能力，就是增強我們所有人的能力。