Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9781558614840
Publication Date: 11-01-2004

Women from around the world tell how they fought to create one of the most important social movements of the last century—the global women's movement. In these compelling testimonies, women from twelve countries tell personal stories of the struggles involved in turning their ideas into actions.

"This is a 'must-read' book. Yes, these are stories of struggle, but also of wit, solidarity, humor, fifth-column infiltration of establishment structures, and soul-uplifting gritty persistence. They have effectively created the thousand small (and a few big) revolutions that will cumulatively create a world in which women and men both bloom, develop, and contribute to making it better. This is their story. Read it." —Margaret Catley-Carlson, CIDA, UNICEF, Population Council, Global Water Partnership

"This timely and thoughtful collection, by women leaders around the globe, highlights the role the UN conferences on women have played in bringing together the diverse strands of the global women's movement and providing a platform to advance calls for gender equality and women's rights. Contributors offer deep insights from their experiences in different struggles—inside government, the academy and in local, national, and international women's groups. As we approach the ten-year review of the commitments made to women at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, this reminds us of the urgent need to develop strategies to hold governments and the international community accountable for keeping their promises to the world's women." —Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director, UNIFEM

"Through the voices of the women who shaped international development policy and women's human rights over the past 30 years, this memoir documents the struggles and triumphs of the Women in Development movement. This international history of women's contributions is significant for women and men in all cultures around the world, including the United States." —Former United States President Jimmy Carter