Chapter 2
DEFINING THE PROBLEM

2.1. INTRODUCTION

Functional illiteracy among women in Canada is a complex problem requiring complex analyses and comprehensive solutions. It is a problem of the social system and has deep-rooted economic, political and ideological causes at the national and international levels. Women who are functionally illiterate are victims of economic oppression and (centuries old) sexual discrimination.

Efforts must be made to decrease the extent of functional illiteracy within the female population, and to increase the participation of functionally illiterate women in formal educational and job training programs. Such efforts will be ineffective if the support services necessary for women's participation in such programs are not adequate. Childcare services, transportation subsidies and counselling services are all essential for increased participation of women in educational and job training programs.

2.2. THE COMPLEXITY OF FUNCTIONAL ILLITERACY WITHIN THE FEMALE POPULATION

The human world is a world of symbols, symbols created by others to construct and preserve their experiences. To participate actively in this world of symbols, each human being must be able to encode and decode her experiences and those of others, using the symbols shared by other humans.

With very few exceptions in the world today, human societies use printed symbols. In economically advanced societies, particularly in the western hemisphere, complex electronic systems of communication, based on the logic of the printed word, have been and are being developed. The person who cannot effectively use the printed word and these complex communications systems is a person who is blocked from participating fully in society. The human rights argument calls for the eradication of functional illiteracy and regards literacy as a fundamental right of all human beings. From this stance comes the imperative that society must provide ample opportunities throughout life for all human beings to benefit from the basic education that would enable them to use the printed word and communication systems of their society in order to effectively participate in that society, and through this, to develop their human potential.

Functional illiteracy, however, is only one of the many barriers to full participation of individuals in society. Sexual discrimination against women is another. For centuries, women in male-dominated societies have been forced to limit their participation in society to the private sphere, the sphere of the family. Traditionally they have been economically dependent upon, and subservient to, men. Recently, in this century, when social and economic circumstances forced men to allow women to participate in the public sphere, this participation has been limited for the most part to low-paying job ghettos and token positions in public institutions (Armstrong, 1984).