Adult literacy among Somali women has historically been low. The overall Somali literacy rate is currently 40%; 43.8% of men are literate compared to 36.2% of women. Lack of equal access to education, cultural norms that favour men, and poverty are key factors that explain this gap. Adult literacy declines with age and has consistently disadvantaged women, according to United Nations data. 

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)  is helping to tackle this injustice by teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills to 2,000 illiterate Somali refugee women and girls in the Dollo Ado refugee camps in Ethiopia. This 24-month Integrated Functional Adult Literacy (IFAL) program receives support from Canadian Jesuits International.

The program is practical and impactful, incorporating knowledge and skills in areas such as parenting/childcare, nutrition, family planning, livelihoods, HIV/AIDS, the environment, and basic hygiene.

Students receive exercise books and school supplies. The program also provides basic support for students who are breastfeeding or pregnant, and day care for those with young children.

Upon completion of the program, 120 IFAL graduates will have access to JRS livelihood projects and to seed money for individual or group businesses in the camps.

Some highlights of the JRS Ethiopia project’s impact for fiscal year 2024-2025: