Foreword; Preface; Contents; Editors and Contributors; 1 The Status of Women: Worldwide Trends; Education; Work and Employment; Government; Health; Violence Against Women; Summary; What Does the Future Hold?; References; 2 Women's Lives in Contemporary Chinese Societies; Historical Background; Gender Roles and Stereotypes; Marriage and Family; Paid and Unpaid Labor; Violence Against Women; Mental Health; Views of Women's Future; References; Suggested Readings and Resources for Further Study; 3 About Asian Indian Women: Stereotypes, Fabrications, and Lived Realities

Work on the Status of Indian Women: A Summary of FindingsSources of Popular Ideas About Indian Women, Womanhood, and Femininity; Listening to the Women of India; Concluding Remarks; Acknowledgements; References; Suggested Readings and Resources for Further Study; 4 Women in Indonesia; Sociohistorical Background; Family Life; The Case of Vina; Divorce; Children; Polygamy; Work Life; Education; Adolescent Girls in Urban and Rural Areas; Respect for Women; Organizations and Activities for Women; Political Participation; Violence Against Women

Physical and Psychological Health Issues for Girls and WomenThe Ideal Woman; Evaluation of Women's Roles and Traits; Conclusions and Views of Women's Future; Acknowledgements; References; Suggested Readings and Resources for Further Study; 5 Women in Iran; Iran's Geography and Ecology; Iranian Culture Today; Media-Oriented Cultures (e.g., Mainstream U.S. Culture); Ecology-Related Cultures (e.g., Iranian Culture); The Role of Globalization and Localization in Iranian Culture and Women's Lives; Shi'a Religion an Important Dimension of Iranian Culture; Women's Rights in Iran

Iranian Women's Dress Over the Past 130 YearsWomen's Education; Gender Research in Iran ; Gender Differences in Self-efficacy; Perceived Developmental Impediments in Rural Environments; Men's Attitudes About Education; Violence Against Women; The Mother's Role in Iranian Families; Female Gender Role and Self-concept; Female Self-concept; Conclusion; References; Suggested Readings and Resources for Further Study; 6 Women in Egypt; Egypt: The Land and Its People; The Women's Movement in Egypt: A Historical Review; Images of Women and Their Gender Role; Socialization of Boys and Girls

Female CircumcisionMarriage; Patterns of Mate Selection; When to Get Married; Early Marriage; Secret (Consensual) Marriage; Marriage Among Relatives; Divorce; Divorce Among Egyptian Coptic People; Family Courts; Polygamy; Marital Adjustment; Remaining Unmarried; Happiness in Married and Non-married Adults; Women's Violence and Violence Against Women; Pregnancy and Childbirth; Adult Activities: Career Opportunities; Female Child Labor, Street Children, and Adolescents; Women as Judges and in Politics; Aging; Women's Leisure Time; Concluding Remarks; References