Published January 1, 2009
| Version v1
Journal article
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The Community Library as Site of Education and Empowerment for Women: Insights from Rural Uganda
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Description
Community libraries in developing countries can be important
sites of knowledge exchange and acquisition for women with
little or no formal education living in communities characterized
by extreme poverty and gender inequities. As locally managed
and operated institutions, specific needs identified by community
members shape their mandates, activities, and types of
resources. Community libraries also offer a "neutral" space
where women can safely gather and independently or collectively
pursue learning in areas of relevance and interest to them.
This paper explores the impact of Kyato Community Library
(KCL) on women's lives in a rural Ugandan context. It considers the questions: i) What valuable educational opportunities does
KCL provide for girls and women who have been prevented
from attaining adequate formal schooling?; and ii) What additional
services, opportunities and qualities could KCL provide to
engage girls and women in these educational opportunities? The
paper argues that with careful attention paid to women's literacy
needs and desires, local context, appropriate resource acquisition
and community-minded personnel, community libraries can
promote and support women's literacy and personal development,
enabling them to cultivate capabilities needed to engage
more fully on equal terms in their societies.
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