MARCH – LITERACY MONTH . 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. How can you be involved? Be a part of the solution for this world wide problem.