With the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, Mongolia was severed from its exterior financial and technical support. The dramatic shift in socioeconomic conditions created a need for new forms of adult education. The nomadic women of the Gobi Desert were targeted as most at risk, and the Gobi Women's Project conducted a needs assessment in three of the six Gobi provinces. Women defined their own most urgent learning needs in the areas of livestock rearing, family care and health, literacy, income generation using locally available materials, and basic business skills. By 1996, 15,000 nomadic women were taking part in education activities offered through radio, printed materials, and visiting teachers. This booklet describes Mongolia's educational conditions and the Gobi Women's Project, with sections covering the history and culture of Mongolia; the abrupt economic change from Communism to an independent market economy; women's status, education, and literacy; low-cost forms of distance education; initial planning and development of the project; enthusiastic grassroots response; development and dissemination of instructional materials; organizational structure of the project; educational delivery through reading materials, radio programs, visiting teachers, information centers, and learning groups; experiences of five students and teachers; project achievements (empowering rural women and breaking new ground); financing; sustainability; and future directions. Includes facts about Mongolia, a glossary, a list of project innovations, photographs, and a bibliography. (SV)