The third in UIL's current series of policy briefs, titled "Gender equality matters: Empowering women through literacy programmes," offers research-informed analysis and action-oriented recommendations for local and national governments, providers of literacy programmes and educators on how to reduce the gender gap in adult literacy. This document describes measures taken in different countries to reduce gender disparities in literacy and presents best-practice examples of literacy programmes that respond to the challenges women face in accessing learning opportunities. It is based on experiences shared by delegates from twelve countries at the International Conference on Achieving Literacy for All in New Delhi in July 2013 and on a research study on women's literacy and empowerment which was presented for discussion to the participants of the aforementioned conference and recently published by UIL. One of the main conclusions of this policy brief is that while literacy alone does not empower women to create and participate in change, as part of policies and programmes that promote equality in all aspects of life, it plays a vital role in changing the lives of millions of women who have received little formal education.