Name: For these women, reading is a daring act
Uploaded: 2015-02-18T16:04:44Z
Duration: 4 min 56 s
Description: In some parts of the world, half of the women lack basic reading and writing skills. The reasons vary, but in many cases, literacy isn't valued by fathers, husbands, even mothers. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak traveled to countries including Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia to highlight brave women -- schoolgirls, political activists, 60-year-old moms -- who are fighting the statistics.

Laura Boushnak: For these women, reading is a daring act

For these women, reading is a daring act

In some parts of the world, half of the women lack basic reading and writing skills. The reasons vary, but in many cases, literacy isn't valued by fathers, husbands, even mothers. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak traveled to countries including Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia to highlight brave women -- schoolgirls, political activists, 60-year-old moms -- who are fighting the statistics.

Education can be a daring act for women in the Arab world, where female illiteracy remains disturbingly high and social barriers run deep. Stories of women like Fayza, married at eight and divorced with three children by eighteen, reveal how learning to read and write becomes a tool for reclaiming agency and hope. Through their own words and portraits, these women inspire others to challenge expectations and fight for their independence. Even small steps, like helping children with homework, signal profound personal victories in communities that often discourage female education.