Both Kerala and Finland have made notable achievements in the realm of literacy: Kerala has one of the highest rates in the developing world and Finland ranks first in literacy among developed countries. Both also share a cultural history of granting women a high status in their respective societies. Using Kerala and Finland as examples, this paper explores the status of women in highly literate societies in both the developing and developed worlds, looking not only at the historical circumstances in which these conditions developed but also at the outcomes associated with them. This paper argues that literacy rates and female status are interconnected: each impacts on the other, as high female status contributes to improved literacy rates and educational and life opportunities, while high female literacy rates result in increased social standing for women. Such synergy produces outcomes beneficial to a society, regardless of its developmental status.