Combating illiteracy has been a focus of Rotary International since 1986 – and for good reason. UNESCO estimates there are 862 million illiterate adults in the world and about two-thirds of them are women. Millions more are functionally illiterate, without the reading and writing skills necessary for everyday life. The United Nations has identified illiteracy as a major obstacle to economic, political, and social development. Be a part of the solution for this world wide problem.