TEHRAN – A number of 2,000 illiterate nomad women from provinces of East Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Fars and Kohkiluyeh-Boyerahmad have passed literacy courses, the vice-president for women’s affairs said recently.

Speaking at a ceremony held in Tehran on the occasion of the International Literacy Day (September 8), Shahindokht Molaverdi  noted that gender discrimination in education has been considerably reduced and the national regulations put emphasis on literacy as a basic human rights issue.

A number of 400 teachers are trained for teaching the illiterate nomad women, she added.

In 1966 only 17.14 percent of nomad women in the country were literate, however the number increased to 80.1 percent in 2011, Molaverdi said, adding the government has made special efforts to administer educational justice.

According to Molaverdi, about two thirds of illiterate people in the world are women and that women make some 70 percent of poor people all over the world.

NM/MG