In the poorest countries, where literacy rates are lowest,

many families can only afford to educate their sons.

But if all women had access to primary education,

there would be 66 percent fewer maternal deaths during childbirth.

And if all women had access to secondary education,

60 percent fewer girls would get pregnant before the age of 17

in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia.

The World Health Organization estimates that one in three women worldwide

has experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

This is especially prevalent in Bolivia, where women’s development organization

Pro Mujer estimates that as many as nine out of ten women fall victim to violence.

Photo: Pro Mujer

Gumercinda is one of these women.

Photo: Pro Mujer

Pro Mujer works with women like Gumercinda to prevent violence through education

and training initiatives, serving over 120,000 women in Bolivia today.

The degree to which someone is capable of reading or interpreting information about their health has major ramifications on their livelihood.

In the U.S. alone, over 77 million adults cannot adequately administer the dosage from a prescription bottle.

People with low health literacy are therefore likely to receive insufficient treatment or put themselves at risk of potentially fatal overdoses.

The literacy gap proves especially precarious in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 percent of the world’s HIV-positive population resides.

When patients struggle to communicate

about their health, they are more

likely to question the efficacy

of prescriptions and abandon

crucial treatments altogether,

putting their lives at greater risk.

People in this developmental age range are the most susceptible

to adopting radicalized ideologies, especially when their community

has been destabilized by circumstances of conflict.

When young people lack the necessary critical thinking skills

and qualifications to succeed in today’s job market,

Extremist groups offer stability,

income, and a system of support.

But if a child completes 12 years of schooling,

he has an 80 percent greater chance

of obtaining a job with an income

high enough to lift himself out of poverty.