Adult Education for Women Empowerment

Running head: ADULT EDUCATION FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Empowering Women in South Africa to Serve as Catalysts Using Adult Education in Reducing Transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Patricia D. Bailey
Capella University
Abstract
There is a high rate of illiteracy in South Africa with over 4.5 million adults that has never attended school and approximately 5 million who are functionally illiterate. (Aitchison, 2004). Studies have found that disparities based on ethnicity, sex and status is a direct link to illiteracy in South Africa. Adult education is a means to an end. It is one of the means of contributing to reduction of the Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDs) in South Africa. This paper will discuss how adult education can help empowerment women in southern African countries in reducing transmission of HIV/AIDs. The countries that will be discussed are Botswana and Lesotho.

Empowering Women in South Africa to Serve as Catalysts Using Adult Education in Reducing the Transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Description of the Setting Traditionally, African education has passed from generation to generation by word of mouth and cultural rituals. This form of education has been used as the basis for sustainable development in agriculture, food preparation and as a way of acquiring lifelong learning (Omolewa, 2007). In the context of South Africa, there are a variety of definitions for literacy. The term may be defined in relation to its economic, psychological and social transformation of individuals involved. Botswana and Lesotho has recognized the importance of adult education in enabling the population to acquire social, practical, civic and political skills. Basic literacy in these countries has been defined as the ability to read and write and carry out simple human thinking and

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