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Aide et Action Hong Kong organized the charity event named “Paint Against Women Illiteracy” in Citywalk Shopping Mall in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong (10 Oct 2010)
‘Aide et Action’(AEA) hosted an art jamming event on 10 Oct 2010, “Paint Against Women Illiteracy”, at CityWalk, Tsuen Wan to raise public awareness on women illiteracy issues, as well as to raise funds for organising literacy classes to help the women.
Participants expressed their support through donations and also made efforts to create one art jam piece, expressing one of the 500 Chinese characters taught in the AEA curriculum. Actress Tse Suet-sum and her daughter Ka-wing made an appearance as ambassadors. Their paintings, together with 500 others will be presented to the women of the literacy classes, with the hope of encouraging them to receive education which in turn will change their destiny and their children’s.
Ambassador actress Tse Suet-sum shared, “AEA has brought quality basic education to underprivileged people in more than 20 countries and has started to organise literacy classes in China for a few years. I am honoured to be their ambassador, to raise Hong Kong people’s attention not only to children’s schooling in China, but also keep an eye on illiterate women’s needs. Through today’s event, I hope more people will be aware of the illiteracy situation in China.”
Despite the booming economic growth of major cities, according to official Government figures, there are still 68 million illiterate women in the rural villages of China. They are unable to read, write, do simple arithmetic; setting them at low social standing, being easily exploited and find it difficult to foster their child’s development. Despite laws guaranteeing women's equality, traditional patriarchal values still dominates, which explain why the rate of women’s illiteracy is kept high.
Aide et Action (Hong Kong Office) General Manager Michele Hui said, “Although China’s economy had been growing rapidly in the last decade, there is little progress in eliminating women’s illiteracy. In rural agricultural communities, young women do not bring long term financial benefit to their parents. Poor families often decide not to invest scarce resources in their daughters' education. Through attending practical literacy classes, they can eventually gain self-esteem and confidence, become independent, and be able to support their families through improving agricultural methods or moving to cities as workers.”