This book focuses on the role of women in the productive structures of a diverse group of third world countries, including India, Peru, Nigeria, Mexico, Singapore, Ethiopia, and China. The product of research sponsored by the International Labour Organization's Programme on Rural Women, Women and Development deals with the specifics of rural women's situations and sets a basis for formulating policies to give direction to their struggle. The nine chapters combine description with analysis, presenting women's work in the context of a world systems perspective. The book emphasizes that rural women, although they appear isolated in homes and villages, are in fact constantly influenced by the world's economic trends.