This work provides a feminist analytical pespective on the forms of resistance, organization and negotiation used by women in Third World states, including regions as diverse as Latin America, China and the Middle East.

Women and Politics in the Third World provides a feminist analytical perspective on the specific forms of resistance, organisation and negotiation by women in Third World States. Using case studies, the book focuses on difference as a theoretical basis for investigating feminine political activism, arguing that Western analysts have attributed weakness to terms such as motherhood, marriage and domesticity as choices made by non-western women, they show that such strategies are used by women to pursue particular goals such as seeking resources, welfare or freedom from oppression for their children. These strategies, the book suggests, should not be classified as unimportant or temporary and can be highly effective even within such discourses as Islamic fundamentalism. The contributors to this volume have embarked on an innovatory path which higlights differing political approaches in regions as diverse as Latin America, South East Asia, China and the Middle East. It will provide a real insight for students wishing to understand the diversities and complexities of women's political participation in these areas.

Introduction 1. Analysing Women in the Politics of the Third World Georgina Waylen 2. Women and the State in the
Third World Shirin Rai 3. Feminist Perspectives on Democratisation in the South: Engendering or Adding Women in?
Doona Pakhurst and Jenny Pearce 4. The Role of Women in the Resistance to Political Authoritarianism in Latin America and South Asia Rohini Hensman 5. (Re) Instituting Notions of "Resistance" and "Empowerment": A Humanitarian Aid Project in Nicaragua Jasbir Pua 6. Chinese Women: Media Concerns and the Politics of Reform Delia Davin 7. Social Policies and Rural Women's Fertility Behaviour in the People's Republic of China Aiping Mu 8.
Women and Fundamentalism in Iran Haleh Ashfar 9. Women and Politics in Post Khomeini Iran: Divorce, Veiling and Emerging Feminist Voices Ziba Mir-Husseini 10. The Women's Movement, Feminism and the National Struggle in Palestine: Unresolved Contradictions 11. Palestinan Women and the Intefada: An Exploration of Women and Realities Maria Holt