Professional Women's Group Partners with International Literacy Organization

ProLiteracy Worldwide
Monday, 30 July 2001

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, July 30, 2001 - In response to overwhelming statistics showing that women are among the poorest of the poor in almost all societies, the Association for Women in Communications (AWC) has initiated a five-year partnership with Laubach Literacy's Women in Literacy/Women in Action campaign. "The initiative is a natural partnership for us because of the importance we in the communications field place on the written word," says Renée Gadoua, co-chair of AWC's Literacy Task Force. "It's stunning to learn that millions of women need help with basic reading skills in order to survive."

In every country of the world, women have less access than men to education and adequate pay, and women face overt and subtle discrimination in the workplace, home, and society at large. Yet, they bear a disproportionately heavy burden for the health and welfare of their families, maintenance of their homes, and generation of household income. Through the five-year Women in Literacy: Women in Action campaign, Laubach hopes to reach 400,000 women worldwide and enable them to change their daily lives.

As part of the partnership, AWC will integrate literacy awareness programs and volunteer opportunities into its 120 student and professional chapters. AWC will also raise awareness about literacy through the national media. "We hope to be able to share our knowledge and skills as we help generate publicity and financial support for Laubach Literacy," Gadoua says.

Since AWC approved the partnership at its annual meeting in September 2000, chapters have begun adapting this initiative as part of existing chapter literacy programs or have created new programs. AWC chapters are encouraged to share their communications expertise with local literacy organizations by offering to review current marketing and public relations plans, providing strategic planning, assist with creating new brochures and materials, writing press releases, and creating a fund-raising campaign. An AWC Florida chapter has even produced a PSA on behalf of the local Laubach Literacy group. When possible, task force members will link AWC chapters with local Laubach programs.

The Association for Women in Communications is a professional organization that champions the advancement of women across all communications disciplines by recognizing excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront of the evolving communications era.

AWC dates to 1909, when seven female students at the University of Washington in Seattle created a women's journalism society, then called Theta Sigma Phi. Today, more than 8,000 members participate in professional and student chapters across the nation and overseas.

Laubach Literacy is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to helping adults and families improve their lives and their communities by learning reading, writing, math, and problem-solving skills. Founded in 1955 by literacy pioneer Dr. Frank C. Laubach, the organization has 1,100 member programs throughout the United States and 70 partner programs in 39 developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Its U.S. Publishing Division, New Readers Press, produces and distributes 500 titles of adult educational materials to 46,000 literacy organizations, schools, libraries, and other institutions around the world.

More information about this partnership and each organization can be found at www.womeninliteracy.org and www.womcom.org.

For more information, or to contact ProLiteracy Worldwide, see their website at: www.proliteracy.org