UAE women appear to be the most enthusiastic females for education in the Arab world as they outnumber literate males in contrast with the other Arab countries.
While most regional states have made progress in anti-illiteracy campaigns, female literacy has remained far behind the male literacy ratio because of social restrictions. The UAE is the only exception. Qatar's male-female literacy gap has been bridged but in the UAE women have outpaced men in education.
Unicef statistics showed female literacy in the UAE stood at 79 per cent at the end of 2000 while male literacy was put at 75 per cent.
In 1990, both male and female literacy rates were equal at 71 per cent and experts attributed female progress to stronger interest by women and more social freedom. "It seems women in the UAE are more enthusiastic than men to get education," an Education Ministry official said.
"Another reason is that more women are now being allowed to get education and work because of the gradual collapse of social barriers."
Unicef's report on the progress in literacy campaigns in developing nations between 1990-2000 showed Qatar had the highest literacy rate in the Middle East, standing at 94 per cent at the end of 2000 compared with 92 per cent for both males and females in 1990.
Other Arab countries inside and outside the Gulf have also made progress in such drives but literacy rates have remained relatively low in many nations. Those with low literacy rates are either poor countries or their women are still suffering from social restrictions which prevent them from going to school.
Yemen for example has sharply reduced illiteracy during that period but the rate has remained high compared with other developing nations due to its limited financial resources, social curbs and rapid growth in its population.
From 13 per cent in 1990, Yemen's female literacy increased to 25 per cent in 2000 while its male literacy surged from 55 to 68 per cent. Despite progress, the figures at the end of 2000 underscore the plight of women in seeking education.
Sudan, another impoverished and conservative Arab nation, also made substantial progress in literacy programmes despite its small resources and internal conflict. From 32 per cent in 1990, female literacy rate soared to 46 per cent while the male rate grew from 60 to 69 per cent, according to the report.
In Saudi Arabia, massive investments in the educational sector boosted male literacy rates from 76 to 83 per cent during that period. Female rates also increased from 50 to 67 per cent but the level remains among the lowest in the third world as women in the oil superpower are still suffering from lack of social freedom.
Bahrain was among the star performers in the developing nations as its female literacy rates increased from 75 to 83 per cent and male from 87 to 91 per cent, one of the highest literacy rates in the region.
Another top performer was Kuwait, where female literacy rates rose from 73 to 80 per cent and males from 79 to 84 per cent.
The report showed Oman achieved the best record in eradicating female illiteracy, with literacy rates among women jumping from 38 to 62 per cent during that period.
The report gave no figures for war-battered Somalia and the Occupied Palestinian Territories while in strife-torn Iraq it put female and male literacy rates at 55 and 23 per cent respectively at the end of 2000, one of the lowest rates in the Arab world.
"Iraq has a unique status in the region. It has been a victim of persistent wars, heavy spending on defence and a government which is not very much interested in the development of its people," a Western diplomat said.
"Iraq could have achieved the best records in education had its massive financial resources been used properly."
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