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."
| ADULT LITERACY RATES IN SELECTIVE ARAB STATES | ||||
| 1990 | 2000 | |||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | |
| UAE | 71 | 71 | 75 | 79 |
| Qatar | 92 | 92 | 94 | 94 |
| Kuwait | 79 | 73 | 84 | 80 |
| Bahrain | 87 | 75 | 91 | 83 |
| Saudi Arabia | 76 | 50 | 83 | 67 |
| Oman | 67 | 38 | 80 | 62 |
| Egypt | 60 | 34 | 67 | 44 |
| Syria | 82 | 48 | 88 | 60 |
| Iraq | 51 | 20 | 55 | 23 |
| Jordan | 90 | 72 | 95 | 84 |
| Lebanon | 88 | 73 | 92 | 80 |
| Morocco | 53 | 25 | 62 | 36 |
| Libya | 83 | 51 | 91 | 68 |
| Sudan | 60 | 32 | 69 | 46 |
| Yemen | More From UAE | |||
