<P>This wide-ranging collection of essays, written over some twenty years, engages fully the general debates over the politics of gender and appraises women's movements in widely varying societies. Most chapters deal directly with Latin American issues and experiences, including anarchist feminism in nineteenth century Argentina; the politics of gender and those of abortion in Sandinista Nicaragua; the role of the official Cuban women's movement in the 1990s; and an appraisal of the relations between gender and state in twentieth century Latin America.The remaining chapters extend beyond the region to provide comparative analysis and an international context, paying particular attention to women's interests and rights, the law and the role of the state. </P>