DPM lauds Adult Literacy Programme for empowering women and promoting financial independence

The Adult Literacy Programme, run by the National Women’s Council (NWC) to equip women with essential reading, writing and numeracy skills, thereby increasing their autonomy and promoting their financial independence, was highly praised by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Marie Arianne Navarre-Marie, this morning at the Quatre Bornes Town Hall.

The Deputy Prime Minister was attending celebrations organised by the NWC to mark International Literacy Day, commemorated annually on 8 September. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mr Jean Daniel Philippe Labonne; the Chairperson of the Board of the NWC, Mrs Anoo Murachpersad-Lanfray; the Manager of the NWC, Mrs Nalini Devi Jugnauth Naeck, and other personalities were also present at the event.

The celebrations, held under the theme ‘Literacy for the People, Planet and Prosperity’, featured testimonies from participants of literacy programmes, readings of French and English texts and poems by successful adult literacy trainees, as well as awards of shields and certificates to participants of dictation competition.

In her address, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the importance of literacy and numeracy in assisting women achieve social and economic empowerment, acting autonomously, boosting their self-esteem and enhancing their dignity as they become less reliant on the assistance of others. She commended the work of the NWC and its resource persons in developing women’s reading, writing, numeracy and entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to participate fully in society. “The Adult Literacy Programme,” she stated, “is in line with Government’s vision to build a more inclusive society.”

According to Mrs Navarre-Marie, the Programme provided participants with practical literacy and numeracy skills they can apply in their everyday lives, such as reading newspapers, completing administrative forms, reading bus timetables and managing household budgets. She congratulated the participants for their determination to improve their lives, regain their dignity and become self-reliant.

Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister underlined the need to encourage girls to complete their School Certificate, Higher School Certificate, and to pursue university qualifications, noting that many, because of certain obstacles and mindsets, drop out at Grade 10 despite having passed their school examinations. She was adamant that girls have the potential and capacity to thrive, recalling that girls’ academic performance often surpasses that of boys.

‘Aprann pou Mieu Viv’ (Learning for a Better Life)

Launched in 1986, the Adult Literacy Programme is implemented at women’s centres, social welfare centres and community centres across the island. The Programme also benefits from the collaboration of the Mauritius Institute for Education in its evaluation.

The recent Adult Literacy Programme, ‘Aprann pou Mieu Viv’ (Learning for a Better Life) initiative, comprises several components. These include Basic Literacy Level One, designed for women who have never received formal schooling or who have little or no exposure to basic syntax, semantics and phonetics; and Basic Literacy Level Two, which enables women to acquire the skills needed to read more advanced texts, such as newspaper articles and poems, and to function more effectively in real-life situations.

The initiative also comprises the Kreol Morisien (Mauritian Creole) course, which provides trainees with knowledge of grammar, basic phonetics, spelling rules, idiomatic expressions and sentence structures in Mauritian Creole, as well as Adult Literacy for Entrepreneurship Development, aimed at women who wish to become entrepreneurs.

Furthermore, the NWC, in collaboration with the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council and the National Empowerment Foundation, conducts an English Literacy using Information Technology Programme. The objective is to empower women to use mobile phones effectively, namely accessing their various features, services and applications.

14 September 2026

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Topics: Education, Gender, Training, Family Protection

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