NIRANTAR - a centre for gender and education

Literacy Work

Nirantar believes that literacy forms an important part of the education continuum and that literacy and education are rights that women and socio-economically disadvantaged communities have been denied. For literacy to indeed be empowering and transformative we believe that the education process should connect with women’s lived realities. We thus try and make this happen by embedding our literacy work within the contexts and lives of the women we work with, and by exploring ways in which literacy can help women confront the challenges they face in their daily lives. We believe that this is best done by adopting multiple strategies that respond to emerging needs. For example, women in the area experience different forms of violence and discrimination. We have woven this into the teaching-learning process and materials as well as intervened in cases by providing legal, counselling and other assistance.

First literacy camp in Mehroni in May 2003

Our literacy work involves running village-level education centres; village-based and residential camps; and a continuing learning programme where literacy skills are integrated with other development efforts and thematic learning camps are organised. In addition, we plan events which bring women together to share and reflect upon their learning.