“Language is information, and information is everything” Villanelle and Irina in Killing Eve.

Reading and writing are human rights and represent essential skills to survive in the modern world. There are strong links between illiteracy, poverty, and exclusion. It is simple: we need to be able to read and write to communicate and perform everyday tasks.

Poverty and illiteracy tend to go hand-in-hand and unfortunately, there is also a huge gender gap in literacy. There are around 773 million youth and adults around the world who still lack basic literacy skills, and two-thirds of them are women! (UNESCO’s 2021 report). No need to say that by learning to read and write, we become more economically independent and actively involved in our social, political, and cultural life.

When we move to a new country and have no idea of the local language, we add another layer of complexity to our lives. Learning the host country’s language is key to networking, overcoming communication barriers, and integrating into the job market. And importantly, communicating in the new environment improves our self-esteem and provides a sense of belonging, which has a huge impact on our mental health.

The situation in Sweden

Sweden has one of the lowest correlations between adult literacy proficiency and socio-economic background. However, when it comes to the literacy proficiency of foreign-born adults, Sweden scores very low. Sadly, a huge proportion of illiterate people in Sweden are immigrant women.

Swedish for immigrants (known as SFI) is a free training program for adults providing basic skills in the Swedish language offered to most categories of immigrants. Any person relocating to Sweden is entitled by law to Swedish language education. However, SFI has some shortcomings. Recent reports show big differences in teaching quality, so not all students get the same chance to effectively learn Swedish. Also, some students feel the courses are not relevant enough to real-life situations.

I tried SFI and dropped twice as I couldn’t manage to engage, and consequently, to learn. Maybe SFI is not suitable for me? I love learning, in particular languages. I admit that I am baffled by my inability to learn Swedish and I continue looking for ways to connect with the language.

And what about learning Swedish when having limited or not literacy skills? That represents another big challenge.

Empowering immigrant women to learn Swedish

The book was launched by Livstycket a non-profit organization funded in 1992 in Tensta, a suburb of Stockholm. Livstycket aimed to support and empower immigrant women and refugees by helping them to learn Swedish, overcome isolation, and become independent. I write “aimed” because, sadly, Livstycket closed its doors in 2019 after 27 years of working to integrate foreign women into society. Such a pity! I would have loved to visit them!

Livstycket followed a functional pedagogy approach to language learning. According to this approach, words only become truly meaningful when they take on a function, a reality, and a context. At the organization, artistic activities like sewing, embroidery, and textile printing were combined with theoretical education in Swedish. Through crafts and artistic work, words such as “scissors” or “fabric” gained true meaning.

Craft activities, at the same time, help process memories and experiences. In this way, functional pedagogy connects your brain with your hands and your heart. Consequently, the learning process is more fun, exciting, and much more effective. I loooooveee this approach!

The project: a book to connect sounds, letters and crafts

In the spring of 2010, Livstycket decided to invest additional resources to help illiterate women learn Swedish. Sixteen women took part in the project; fifteen of them had attended SFI education but none had cracked the reading code. During the project, these women learned to connect sounds with letters, words and their own stories. They intertwined their new world of language with their artistic creations.

It took time, perseverance, and patience, and by the end of the project, fourteen participants had learned to read! The book captures the whole experience and it was launched in the autumn of 2011. Imagine how proud and confident these women feel now! (I literally have goosebumps while writing this).

This remarkable story showcases the transformative power of education in creating a more equitable, empowered, and sustainable world. When we women are educated, magic happens, and we become unstoppable forces <3.