Taeko Takayanagi (Ph.D.)

Graduate School of Asia and Pacific Studies,
Waseda University in Japan 

Short Bio: Dr. Taeko TAKAYANAGIS is a special fellow at the Graduate School of Asia and Pacific Studies (GSAPS), Waseda University, Japan. Her research focus is women’s literacy and development, indigenous education, particularly in Kenya and Thailand. She is interested in non-formal and formal education systems for improving one’s well-being in developing countries. She has written many books and articles.

Keynote Topic: Women’s learning and empowerment in rural Kenya: Maasai village women take initiative.

This study investigates the activities of a village-based literacy centre in Kenya and explores the benefits of community development activities on women’s well-being in Africa. Through the analysis of the stories of two Maasai women who had experienced adult literacy learning, the author discovered that: (1) the literacy instructor had inadequate in-service teacher training support from the government; (2) these women were using a space generated by collaborative informal learning through the literacy centre to improve their families’ and community’s well-being; and (3) these women gained empowerment through community development activities organised by the literacy centre. The author concludes that grassroots literacy and informal learning have been effective in improving the quality of life for the village women, and should be encouraged and supported by external agencies.