Development Alternatives’ founder Ashok Khosla has highlighted the positive consequences of tackling female illiteracy in rural India. Being able to read is a critical step to a quality job. In 1988 an Indian all-women paper recycling business producing hand-made paper had 25 women workers between 23-35 years old. In 2009, 23 of those women still worked there. Between 1988 and 2009 the paper-producers had two additional children. On average, twenty-three additional births would have been expected of rural Indian women with the same demographic.
