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


聯(lián)合國(guó)秘書(shū)長(zhǎng)潘基文2010年國(guó)際掃盲日致辭
2010年9月8日 紐約 聯(lián)合國(guó)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(guó)際掃盲日紀(jì)念活動(dòng)突出展示識(shí)字在增強(qiáng)婦女能力方面的中心作用。識(shí)字改變婦女的生活，也改變她們的家庭、社區(qū)和社會(huì)。識(shí)字的婦女更有可能把子女尤其是女孩送去上學(xué)。通過(guò)識(shí)字，婦女在經(jīng)濟(jì)上變得更加自力更生，更積極地參與自己國(guó)家的社會(huì)、政治和文化生活。所有證據(jù)都表明，投資開(kāi)展婦女掃盲能帶來(lái)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(dá)喀爾世界教育論壇上，各國(guó)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(biāo)。在論壇舉辦以來(lái)的過(guò)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(guó)掃盲十年(2003年至2012年)為減少文盲提供了進(jìn)一步推動(dòng)力。文盲率正在下降，但六個(gè)成年人中大約有一個(gè)仍然不會(huì)讀寫(xiě)；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(qiáng)婦女能力的高質(zhì)量掃盲方案提供更多資金，開(kāi)展持續(xù)的宣傳，并確保小學(xué)和中學(xué)階段的女童和男童不會(huì)成為新一代青年文盲。教科文組織今天把國(guó)際掃盲獎(jiǎng)授予佛得角、埃及、德國(guó)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(gè)方案都實(shí)實(shí)在在地證明了識(shí)字對(duì)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(chǎn)生的深遠(yuǎn)而積極的影響。這種方案應(yīng)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(gè)識(shí)字婦女都是對(duì)貧困的一次勝利。值此國(guó)際掃盲日之際，我敦促各國(guó)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(shí)字是發(fā)展和繁榮必不可少的基礎(chǔ)。通過(guò)掃盲增強(qiáng)婦女的能力，就是增強(qiáng)我們所有人的能力。