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Women of Asia
PORTRAITS OF CHINESE WOMEN IN REVOLUTION
By Agnes Smedley
Agnes Smedley (1892-1950) worked in and wrote about China during the years of war and revolutionary turmoil from 1928-1941. The pieces in this collection were all written in the 1930s and through them the flux and turmoil, the despair and exaltation of China on the throes of revolution are vividly depicted. Smedley, who also wrote a biography on the peasant general Chu Teh, now lies buried in Beijing beneath a gravestone inscribed "Friend of China". (New York: The Feminist Press, undated. 208 p. RN SOC 02337.00B)
STATISTICAL PROFILE ON WOMEN OF NEPAL
Edited by Shavitri Sing
Women in Nepal represent slightly a little over a half of the total population. This compendium of statistical data on the status of Nepalese women is intended to as a resource material for planners and policymakers. Wherever applicable male/female comparisons have been made. Geographic variations and changes over time, particularly after the international women's year 1974, have also been attempted. However, some information is quite old owing to the absence of regular surveys. (Nepal: Shtrii Shakti, 1995. 111 p. RN GENREF 02438.00B)
WOMEN, DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRACY: A STUDY OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHANGES IN THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN NEPAL (1981-1993)
By Shtrii Shakti
This comprehensive study of women in fifteen sites sought to find out to what extent and in what ways the changes over the past ten to fifteen years are reflected in the lives of the different groups of women in different parts of Nepal. These groups differ from each other in economic status, cultural norms, geographical setting, education, political awareness, and access to communication facilities. This study used the findings of the Status of Women in Nepal (SOWN), an in-depth research carried out over four years and published in 1981, a base-line data against which the changes in women's lives over the last decade were measured. (Nepal: Shtrii Shakti, 1995. 217 p. RN GENREF 02433.00B)
STATISTICS ON THE VIETNAMESE WOMEN
Edited by Nguyen Kim Cuc
This compilation of statistical information about the present status of Vietnamese women was prepared and published by the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam on the occasion of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Comprehensive in coverage, it is a useful primary guide for researchers, advocates and policymakers. (Hanoi: Statistical Publishing House, 1995. 191 p. RN GENREF 02441.00B)
GENDER & DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM
By Le Thi Nam Tuyet, Le Van Phung and La Nhaim Thin
Comprise of 200 statistical charts and an annex of 50 statistical tables, Gender and Development in Vietnam covers the status of women in the areas of economy, politics, culture, health and education. The information contained in this important volume comes from official data, as well as from surveys and studies conducted by the Hanoi-based Research Centre for Gender, Family and Environment in Development. (Hanoi: Research Centre for Gender, Family and Environment in Development, 1994. 257 p. RN GENREF 02440.00B)
Woman in Islam
QUR'AN AND WOMEN
By Anana Wadud-Muhsin
This is an analysis of the concept of woman drawn directly from the Qur'an. It is an explicit attempt to return to the original source – the Qur'an, when the tendency has been to confuse the works of Islamic scholars with the Qur'an. It demonstrates that in order to maintain its relevance, the Qur'an must be continually reinterpreted; that the importance of the Qur'anic text is its transcendence of time and its expression of eternal values.
Qur'an and Women sheds some new light on the role of women through reviewing Islam's holy book itself with its principles of social justice and human equality and its objective of justice. (Kuala Lumpur, Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn. Bhd., 1992. 118 p. RN WIS 02437.00B)
GENDER EQUITY IN ISLAM: BASIC PRINCIPLES
By Jamal Badawi
Gender Equity in Islam presents an overview of the status and rights of Muslim women as defined by the Qur’an and Sunnah. In this brief pamphlet, Dr. Jamal Badawi examines the spiritual, social, economic and political aspects of women's position in Islam and, in doing so, summarizes the role of women in Muslim society. Further, in explaining the sources that provide the foundation for Islam's stance on gender equity, Badawi discusses the role of Islamic scholars in their approach to women's issues. (USA: American Trust Publications, 1995. 62 p. RN WIS 02412.00B)
WOMAN IN ISLAM
By B. Aisha Lemu and Fatima Heeren
The International Islamic Conference held in London from April 3-12, 1976 had the major aim of promoting a better understanding of Islam and Muslim culture in the West. One of the most remembered sessions was the one devoted to them relating to women in Islam. It was addressed by two Muslim women, both coming from Western backgrounds; one was English and the other German. "Woman in Islam" is a small pamphlet that carries these lectures about the status and experiences of Muslim women. (London: The Islamic Foundation, 1993. 51 p. RN WIS 02416.00B)
Literature
THE DRAGON'S PEARL
By Sirin Phathanothai
Sirin Phathanothai was born into one of Thailand's most privileged and politically prominent families. But at the age of eight, her life changed dramatically. She and her brother were sent to be brought up in Beijing under the direct auspices of premier Zhou En Lai as his wards. Sirin went swimming with Mao, was privy to major political and historical events and lived through Mao's economic Great Leap Forward. Then, during the Cultural Revolution, her world was torn asunder. Her brother was expelled from China and she was saved only by the People's Liberation Army deep in the countryside. But, unlike many of her friends, she survived and went on to play a pivotal role in China's opening to the West.
Sometimes harrowing, and always highly illuminating, Sirin Phathanothai's story is a unique historical document. (London: Simon & Schuster, 1994. 336 p. RN LIT 02335.00B)
SILVER SISTERS
By Lillian Ng
Born into the grinding poverty of peasant life in the Chinese village of Lung Sun, Ah Pan had little expectation of ever venturing far from the village. But, orphaned at 14, Ah Pan joins a "sisterhood" that changes the course of her life forever. Ironically, Ah Pan's solemn vows of celibacy and loyalty to her "sisters" offer her a freedom unknown to most Chinese women of her time – financial independence. As a domestic servant, Ah Pan encounters worlds far beyond the experience of a simple peasant girl, from the cloistered luxury of the fabulously wealthy House of Tang in Canton, to the Hong Kong apartment of famous singer Little Peacock Lien; from the grim struggle for survival in Japanese-occupied Singapore, to the sometimes bewildering freedoms of present-day Australia. (Australia: Mandarin, 1994. 307 p. RN LIT 02398.00B)
CONSCIENCE DELUDED
Edited by Ayenha Kagal and Natasha Perova
What does the ritual slaughtering of a pig symbolise for a mother-son relationship? Why is Kozlov smitten by Alyonka and how do his wax dolls break her spell? What is the bloody women's ward all about? Who were Marcsha Peredreeva's three loves? Lenin dies in March 1953 and a young Jewish girl come of age.
This ground-breaking collection of stories by Russian women from the post-Perestroika period, are presented here in an English translation for the first time. The ten writers in this anthology span the better part of this century and demonstrate a range of styles and literary devices used by women in Russia today – fable, allegory, fantasy, realism. Each story, compelling told, deals with different facets of the lives of Russian women, before and after glasnost, and is unforgettable in its imagery and intensity. (New Delhi: Kali for Women, 1994. 247 p. RN LIT 01976.00B)
TAMARIND AND MANGO WOMEN
By Opal Palmer Adisa
In this collection of poems, Adisa's voice is loving, challenging, seductive and humorous. There are offerings of tamarind and mango, from mother to daughter, of bitter and sweet, of strong black women. (Canada; Sister Vision Press, 1992. 120 p. RN LIT 01998.00B)
WITH WINGS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF LITERATURE BY AND ABOUT WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES
Edited by Marsha Saxton and Florence Howe
With Wings speaks with the many varied voices of unique women – young and old, black and white, heterosexual and lesbian, rich and poor – on a common theme. Through personal accounts, fiction, and poetry, women describe the physical experience of disability; explore the effects of disability on their relationships with family, friends, and lovers; and reach for transcendence of the social and internal barriers of being female and disabled.
Published almost ten years ago, With Wings is still considered a touchstone by many because of the clarity and quality of the works it carries. More than thirty writers, some of them well known, others previously unpublished, contributed to this brave anthology. (New York: The Feminist Press at the City University of New York, 1987. 167 p. RN LIT 01953.00B)
Women and Entrepreneurship
WOMEN, MONEY AND POWER
Edited by Chris Black
Women it seems have always been in charge of the finances at home – they balance the family budget, and make sure that there is enough money to run everything in the family. Despite this, there are very few women holding key leadership position in banks, the Stock Exchange and other monetary and finance institutions. Women are not seen as "money experts".
Women, Money and Power make this point and further analyses areas in both the public and private sphere where women's relationship with money – access to, use of – reflects their own empowerment. Areas that were examined in this monograph include women in business, marriage and financial independence, matrimonial property rights, financial management and dealing with legal documents. (Australia: Australian Women's Research Centre, 1994. 124 p. RN ECO 02436.00B)
ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILL FOR YOUNG WOMEN: A MANUAL FOR TRAINERS
By Women and Development Programme, Human Resource Development Group
This manual is divided into three major sections: gender issues, achievement motivation, and how to start and run a business. Intended to help meet the training needs of women, particularly those involved in the informal sector, it provides resource materials and suggests teaching methodologies which could be useful to a wide range of trainers who are involved in developing entrepreneurial skills among women. The manual uses the experiential learning model, also called structured learning experiences which are characterized by full participation of trainees, analysis of information and a focus on specific goals. (London: Commonwealth Secretariat, 1992. 205 p. RN ECO 00863.00B)
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
By Uschi Jraus-Harper and Malcolm Harper
Millions of women throughout the world are the main or only contributors to the incomes of households, through self-employment and businesses of various kinds. Such women are not full time entrepreneurs, because of the many other demands on their time and energy. However, experiences everywhere show that they repay loans more reliably and spend their earnings more responsibly, than most businessmen.
Designed for anyone who is responsible for designing, managing or actually conducting business training for women, this manual provides detailed guidelines for conducting courses. There are suggestions on how to adapt to local circumstances, the hand-outs, case studies and exercises contained in the manual. On managing the training courses, the manual also has materials on the special training needs of business women, on recruitment and selection of participants and on evaluating the training. (London: Intermediate Technology Publications, 1992. 166 p. RN ECO 00857.00B)
Helpful Directories
DIRECTORY OF NATIONAL FOCAL POINTS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Edited by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
First published in 1987, this revised edition has been compiled from information collected through a questionnaire survey conducted in 1994. In cases where no response was received, the information contained in the directory's 1992 edition was used instead. In all, 43 countries are covered in this directory. (New York: United Nations, 1995. 198 p. RN GENREF 02443.00B)
VIETNAM NGO DIRECTORY 1995-1996
Edited by the NGO Resource Center
Some 160 international NGOs, foundations and trusts working in Vietnam are covered in this directory. Aside from basic information like address in Vietnam and in the home office, the directory also carries each organization's mission and philosophy, main programs, number of staff, annual budget, and geographical scope of operation. Annexed are a listing of government offices and UN organizations in Vietnam with their corresponding addresses and phone numbers. (Hanoi: NGO Resource Center, 1995. 217 p. RN GENREF 02442.00B)
All the titles that appear here are available in the Isis Resource Center and Library. For information about the publishers and how copies can be borrowed or bought, write, fax or e-mail Isis International Manila.
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Women Empowering Women
A COMMITMENT TO THE WORLD'S WOMEN: PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENT FOR BEIJING AND BEYOND
Edited by Noeleen Heyzer, Sushma Kapoor and Joanne Sandler
Throughout the preparations for the 4th World Conference on Women, women and their governments seemed to agree on one idea: the importance of developing a specific and realistic list of commitments for advancing women's status and ensuring women's empowerment. The commitments that emerged from Beijing serve as the basis for promoting gender-responsive approaches to the development of commitments and nations worldwide.
This collection includes articles by more than 30 thinkers, organizers and leaders. These authors have proven their own high level of commitment to the empowerment of women during the many years of dedicated work on gender issues. They resist the crucial issues and processes that have been detrimental to women, their families and societies and offer recommendations and insights for achieving a sustainable future. (New York: UNIFEM, 1995. 269 p. RN DEV 02446.00B)
MANAGERIAL CHALLENGES: NGOS IN WOMEN, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Edited by: Caridad Tharan and Moi Lee Liow
This is a summary of the papers presented during a regional seminar of NGOs in women, population and development held from 29 September-3 October, 1992 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The articles deal with practical managerial challenges, issues and constraints peculiar to the structure and nature of NGO operations. Highlighted by the articles is the wide range of activities the participating NGOs are engaged in, as well as the managerial challenges they face. The managerial issues that were pointed out include sustainability, community participation, networking, voluntarism and professionalization. (Kuala Lumpur: The International Council on the Management of Population Programmes, 1993. 104 p. RN DEV 02414.00B)
BY WOMEN, FOR WOMEN: A STUDY OF WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS IN THAILAND
By Darunee Tantiwiramanond and Shashi Ranjan Pandey
This book, according to its authors, is an exploratory work to document and analyse, and publish for the first time, case studies of women's organizations in Thailand. These case studies provide insights into the issues of women in development and the role of women's organizations in Thailand.
Examining conservative, liberal and feminist women's organizations, the authors conclude that the presence of these organizations in their variety demonstrate the diversity of women's mobilization. They further point out that of these organizations, it is the progressive organizations that seem to represent a new social movement with new values and actions. (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1991. 186 p. RN SOC 02453.00B)