For most women of the world the role of mother is, at least for a time, a primary aspect of their lives. From birth female children are already committed to become in their turn the producer of more children. Everywhere and always women have been primarily (and often solely) responsible for nurturing and raising men's offspring. And this went unquestioned for  too long a time. A biological function was transformed into a " natural " destiny, a sacred vocation. Feminists have been the first to point out how instrument al the institution of Motherhood has been in imprisoning women in a constricting role and in keeping them dependent and submissive; in the name of motherhood educational and job opportunities have been denied them, in the name of motherhood they have been taught abnegation and self- sacrifice , in the name of motherhood they have been bound with the indissoluble ties of marriage and family. Rejection of motherhood , however, was not the solution. In Western countries, where for a time feminist consciousness seemed to advocate deliberate childlessness, a reversal of the tide has been occurring. The demand for recognition of women's specificity obviously implies also the re-evaluation of women's most specific function. More and more feminists now are mothers, and with difficulty they are trying to re-invent mothering. "With difficulty" because ambivalence continues to characterize feminist thinking and feminist practice. The requirements of motherhood as an uniquely female experience still clash with the  generalized view of childrearing as unproductive work and with the conditions of loneliness and isolation which mark motherhood in Western societies.

This contradiction exists of course within the larger context of society — in the Third World as well as in the West. The articles here reflects women's experiences with the lack of societal support and describe what changes need to take place for women to fulfil their responsibilities to their children and to themselves, indeed to enable women to freely choose motherhood.

The articles cover a wide range of the different aspects of motherhood : choosing motherhood — or the lack of choice; daily lives of mothers; post partum depression; lesbian mothering; a survey of maternity "protection" laws; building support networks for motherhood.

As usual, we did not have room for all we would have liked to have been able to include. Some of these articles have been included as resources. Other aspects of motherhood are unspoken of, particularly in the voices of Third World women.

Although the articles included here from Latin America talk about the " ideology of motherhood" and suggest changes in society's structure, articles from other parts of the world — like Africa and Asia — center solely on the compulsory nature of motherhood. Thus, w e do not know how women in such countries feel about motherhood, about infertility; whether postpartum depression exists, what forms it takes; what kinds of support  networks exist, and what kind women would like to have.

Whether there truly are such divergent concerns, or whether it is a matter of being unable to disseminate their thoughts themselves — and always having them disseminated and selected by others, — ISIS would like to hear from women in these countries. Perhaps the answers to these questions, or issues not mentioned but considered important by the women themselves, can be published in a future bulletin.

One thing is certain: in exchanging views, discussing differences, and sharing experiences and attempts to change the context of motherhood, we make a vital contribution to mothering ourselves and each other, as well as our children

I believe increasingly that only ttie willingness to share private and sometimes painful experience can enable women to create a collective description of the world which will be truly ours.

Adrienne Rich, Of Woman Born