Statistics on Literacy

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Almost one billion people in the world, or a fifth of humanity, are illiterate. And although there has been progress over the years (see the chart below), it is still a fact that is detrimental to human rights. Those who cannot read or write will find it much more difficult to know their rights and to know the ways to protect their rights.

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70% of the illiterate are female. The female population is already disproportionately affected by rights violations. A lower level of education is both a cause of this situation and an obstacle to improvement.