Krishnan and I celebrated our 25th anniversary in Mongolia. We spent a month there and drove across North, Central and South Mongolia. While the country is landlocked between Russia and China and is mesmerisingly beautiful, the other aspect that stands out is 97% literacy.

Literacy in Mongolian not English, but nearly every one of the 3 million Mongolians knows to read, write and speak their language. Why it is an interesting statistic is because nearly 2/3rds of the population is nomadic. They move with their livestock and Gers (mobile houses) atleast 3 to 4 times in a year. How do they manage to go to school then?

Culturally, education is very important for every Mongolian. Children are sent to the nearest school and they stay with relatives or in dormitories to continue their education while their parents keep moving from place to place. We had a dedicated driver Amaraa and an English speaking guide Nara accompanying us everywhere. Interestingly, Nara has done her post graduation from Israel on a scholarship and Amaraa’s daughter is studying Nano technology in Korea !!

There are hardly any crimes against women in Mongolia. Its probably the safest place on Earth today. Women manage the household finances and are more educated than the men.

I don’t think we need any more proof of the benefits of education and literacy, especially getting our girls educated. So start today – help your maid become literate, help your security guard’s daughter to study further and ensure your daughter continues to educate herself.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao – ofcourse !