Wednesday September 8 is International Literacy Day. The aim, according to the UNESCO website, is "to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies".

This year's theme is Literacy and Gender. UNESCO says that almost one in every seven people is illiterate, and out of a total of 860 million illiterate adults more than 500 million are women.

Some links for more information:

• UNESCO International Literacy Day website
• Background on International Literacy Day from the UN's Dag Hammarskjöld Library
• International Reading Organisation
• Adult Learning Australia