Women & Literacy

Women and Literacy Web Resources

A very special "thank you" to the following:

Mev Miller
Coordinator, WE LEARN

Daphne Greenberg
Associate Director, Center for the Study of Adult Literacy

Jane M. Hugo
Director of Special Projects, ProLiteracy America

Janet Isserlis
Project Director, Literacy Resources/RI

Ujwala Samant
Research Analyst National Centre for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL)

Curriculum Resources

WE LEARN (Women Expanding - Literacy Education Action Resource Network):
http://www.litwomen.org/welearn.html
WE LEARN is a resource center and clearinghouse dedicated to the publishing, review, networking, and distribution of women-centered literacy resources and materials. It includes a comprehensive and detailed resource list of women-centered literacy materials and curriculum. http://www.litwomen.org/Resources.html
There is a section specifically for learners reporting what learners have to say about reading materials. It includes links to student writings. http://www.litwomen.org/learn.html

Women’s History Month: A feature of the National Register of Historical Places:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/wom/
From their homepage: “…this site showcases historic properties listed in the National Register, National Register publications, and National Park units commemorating the events and people, the designs and achievements that help illustrate the contribution of women to the Nation's history.”
It includes curriculum resources, lesson plans, discussion questions and more.

Film & Video

WAVE (Women's Audiovisuals in English):
http://webcat.library.wisc.edu:3200/WAVE/
“WAVE: Women's AudioVisuals in English is a database maintained by the University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian's Office that lists documentary, experimental, and feature film and video productions by and about women. The information has been drawn entirely from distributors' and producers' catalogs and websites, reviews in periodicals, filmographies, reference works, and library catalogs; in most cases we have not examined the materials themselves.”

For Men about Women

Health, Action, Education, Empowerment, Rights and Accountability HERA Action sheet:
http://www.iwhc.org/docuploads/HERAActionSheets.pdf
This resource is written for men who want to learn more about women's issues and what they can do to be supportive. The HERA (Health, Action, Education, Empowerment, Rights and Accountability) Action Sheet was found under a search for literacy on the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) Website (http://www.iwhc.org/). This action sheet developed from the 4th World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) provides concrete suggestions for how to address or approach topics such as Men's Role and Responsibility for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health.

Girls and Youth

American Association of University Women (AAUW):
http://www.aauw.org/
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a national organization that promotes education and equality for all women and girls. Though there are few resources here that specifically apply to women and basic literacy, teachers and researchers may find some interesting resources on gender and education. There are a few sections of the website worth noting, especially under research http://www.aauw.org/research/index.cfm

Hostile Hallways: Bullying, Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in School:
http://www.aauw.org/research/girls_education/hostile.cfm

¡Sí, Se Puede! Yes, We Can: Latinas in School, by Angela Ginorio and Michelle Huston (2000):
http://www.aauw.org/research/latina.cfm
They also have several resources on K-12 schooling and girls’ sexuality.
There is also an action guide for community organizing, action, and community-based coalition building called Community Coalitions Manual: With Lessons Learned from the Girls Can! Project: http://www.aauw.org/ef/girlscan/index.cfm

Health

National Women's Health Network:
http://www.womenshealthnetwork.org
From the site: “The National Women's Health Network is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We are the only national public interest membership organization dedicated exclusively to women's health.”
This site does not address literacy issues per se, however, teachers/tutors may find the health information fact sheets useful for information and class discussion.

Popular Education

The TOSTAN Basic Education Program, Senegal: Participatory Nonformal Education:
http://www.literacyonline.org/explorer/tost_back.html
According to this site, basic education programs in many underdeveloped countries throughout the world fall short in attaining their goals. Recognizing the need to teach basic skills, such as reading, writing, and math, governments have spent considerable sums of money on formal literacy programs often with disappointing results. What has proven successful are comprehensive nonformal education programs where learners participate in the creation of the educational program and link the lessons to their everyday life situations.

Poverty

Fourth World Conference on Women Platform for Action Women and Poverty:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/poverty.htm

The Project for Research on Welfare, Work & Domestic Violence:
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped
“The joint Project for Research on Welfare, Work, and Domestic Violence seeks to foster collaboration among researchers, policy makers, and community organizations which are concerned with the nexus of welfare and domestic violence issues.”
They have a list of publications and research reports, many of them downloadable in pdf format covering a broad range of topics related to welfare and domestic violence. However, it does not appear that any of these articles directly address issues of literacy or education. http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/pubs.html

Prisons

The Impact of College in a Maximum-Security Prison: Effects on Women in Prison, the Prison Environment, Reincarceration Rates and Post-Release Outcomes:
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped
From the Executive Summary: “A broad based multi-method research design was undertaken to document the impact of college within prison on women, the prison environment and women post-release. Changing Minds reveals the extraordinary personal, social and fiscal costs that all Americans pay today for not educating prisoners. This study offers national and local policymakers and activists a new policy direction that creates safer communities, reduces reincarceration rates, helps prisoners, their families and the prison environment.”

Sexuality

American Association of University Women (AAUW):
http://www.aauw.org/
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a national organization that promotes education and equity for all women and girls. Though there are few resources here that specifically apply to women and basic literacy, teachers and researchers may find some interesting resources on gender and education. They also have several resources on K-12 schooling and girls’ sexuality especially under research http://www.aauw.org/research/index.cfm

Violence Against Women

Jenny Horsman:
http://www.jennyhorsman.com/
The intention of this site is to provide a space for people to connect with those who are engaged in the issue of violence and learning. This site supports discussion about the impact of violence on learning, encourages research and practice to examine and respond to impacts of violence on learning and makes materials on learning and violence easily available.

The Project for Research on Welfare, Work & Domestic Violence:
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped
“The joint Project for Research on Welfare, Work, and Domestic Violence seeks to foster collaboration among researchers, policy makers, and community organizations which are concerned with the nexus of welfare and domestic violence issues.”
They have a list of publications and research reports, many of them downloadable in pdf format covering a broad range of topics related to welfare and domestic violence. However, it does not appear that any of these articles directly address issues of literacy or education. http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/pubs.html

American Association of University Women (AAUW):
http://www.aauw.org/
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a national organization that promotes education and equity for all women and girls.

Hostile Hallways: Bullying, Teasing, and Sexual Harassment in School:
http://www.aauw.org/research/girls_education/hostile.cfm

Welfare

The Project for Research on Welfare, Work & Domestic Violence:
http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped
“The joint Project for Research on Welfare, Work, and Domestic Violence seeks to foster collaboration among researchers, policy makers, and community organizations which are concerned with the nexus of welfare and domestic violence issues.”
They have a list of publications and research reports, many of them downloadable in pdf format covering a broad range of topics related to welfare and domestic violence. However, it does not appear that any of these articles directly address issues of literacy or education. http://www.ssw.umich.edu/trapped/pubs.html