19 Aug International Literacy Day: Promoting literacy in the digital era
International Literacy Day (ILD) is held at the end of Adult Learners Week on 8 September and will be celebrated this year under the theme of Promoting literacy in the digital era.
The 2025 theme highlights both the potential and the risks of digital transformation. While digital tools can expand access to learning, they can also deepen exclusion for those without foundational literacy or digital skills. UNESCO talks about the digital shift as risking the creation of “double marginalisation – exclusion not only from traditional literacy learning but also from the benefits of the digital age”.
Literacy holds the key for “making these transformations inclusive, relevant and meaningful. Beyond reading and writing on paper, literacy in the digital era enables people to access, understand, evaluate, create, communicate and engage with digital content safely and appropriately. Literacy is also central for fostering critical thinking, discerning credible information and navigating complex information environments.”
ILD 2025 will spotlight innovative policies and programs that promote adult literacy as a human right and a public good, essential for inclusive development and personal empowerment. See here for more information.