EUROPE/SPAIN - Worldwide over 40 million children do not attend school and 500 million women are illiterate

Madrid (Agenzia Fides) – On the occasion of the forthcoming International Women's Day, the Salesian missionaries wanted to highlight the importance of schooling for women, claiming that "educating a woman is equivalent to educating people". According to the latest report by Misiones Salesianas, worldwide, over 40 million children do no attend school and 500 million women are illiterate. Consequently, the missionaries add, that women who can neither read nor write ignore their rights and cannot take part in the decisions of their communities. In Kenya, for example, if women working in fields received the same education as men, the crops would increase by 22%. And if South America gender disparity were eliminated in the labor market, the domestic product would increase by more than 5%. However, there is no need to go far for evidence of differences between men and women. For example, if in Europe both men and women earned the same wages, the gross domestic product would increase by 13%. Faced with this situation, the Salesian missionaries call on governments and international organizations to involve more women, as per the agreement of 2000 in response to the Millennium Development Goal to "promote equality ". (AP) (Agenzia Fides 07/03/2012)