One of every two children in developing nations does not complete primary school and four out of ten adults do not read or write. Of these ten, six are women. There were 44 million illiterate adults in Latin America in 1985, and of the 66 million school age children, 8.5 million were not in school. Thirty million of these children lived in poverty. In 1983, a project was begun with UNESCO/UNICEF in collaboration with interested countries, for the universalization of primary school education and to address problem of illiteracy. This seminar was organized to evaluate literacy programs, analyze national experiences, and search for alternatives to the continuing deterioration in providing basic education. Also examined were the role of education in child development and the factors in Latin America that affect access to education. Among the conditions affecting educational development were malnutrition, unemployment, inadequate facilities, and cultural discrimination. In 1984 a national, rural primary school program was implemented in Bolivia in conjunction with the Universalization of Education program (UPEL). A guide was developed for instructors, as well as a textbook series of 20 stories, related to the themes of infant development, sex education, and responsible parenting. These materials emphasized the participation of women and attempted to strengthen women's cultural identity. The program incorporated teachers and community volunteers. An estimated 10,000 women achieved literacy through the efforts of more than 2,000 community volunteers in the program. A description of various projects in the countries represented at the seminar is provided in an appendix. (NL)