These essays examine the struggles and hardships of women in the Middle East, their vital economic activities and their perception of Islam. They also look at the female-centred informal economy and its importance in the lives of Middle Eastern women.

This collection examines the "invisible" women of the Middle East and their vital economic activities. Focusing on daily and domestic life in communities where more than half the population lives and works, these essays highlight the struggles and hardships of women in the region and also establish the distance between this invisible world and the conflict over Islamic issues that dominate headlines in the West.