Fighting illiteracy in East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific

A sub-regional conference in support of literacy will take place in Beijing (China) on July 31 and August 1. The second in a series of regional conferences organized by UNESCO to promote global literacy, the Beijing conference will focus on the situation in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. Although the total number of people who can read and write in this part of the world is high — 91.7% — a considerable gender gap persists, with women making up 70% of the illiterate population. The situation also varies significantly from one country to another. Details may be found at the UNESCO News Services website.