Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over - Stephanie Hepburn

Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over stands alone in the unique contribution it makes to the field of women's rights. Based solely on statistics and empirical data as opposed to opinion, authors Stephanie Hepburn and Rita Simon have crafted an important contribution to the study of women in society by comparing women's position in society within 26 nations throughout the world. This distinctive work addresses the status of women in the areas of education, work force, marriage and divorce, the Constitution, abortion and contraceptives, public office, military service, and health care. The countries selected reflect a representative pool of the world's cultures, religions, traditions, races, laws, and politics. Hepburn and Simon present the weaknesses, strengths, and progress or digression of each of the selected nations, painting a clear picture of how much more progress must occur in order to set men and women on equal footing. Women's Roles and Statuses the World Over is intended to serve scholars and general audiences alike as a handbook providing empirical data and comprehensive references on the social issues, problems, and practices that affect women today.

Stephanie Hepburn is a graduate of Washington College of Law at American University. She is a recipient of an Equal Justice America fellowship and the winner of two Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Gold Circle Awards and currently is a contributing writer for the Times-Picayune Newspaper in New Orleans. Rita J. Simon is a professor in the School of Public Affairs and the Washington College of Law at American University. She is the author and editor of numerous books, including Global Perspectives on Social Issues: Juvenile Justice Systems (with Paola Zalkind, Lexington Books, 2004), and Adoption Across Borders (with Howard Altstein, Rowman and Littlefield, 2000).

An indispensable reference for scholars interested in the variation in women's well-being around the world. An enormous amount of research is organized in an accessible format with a valuable comparative synthesis.
Judith Kleinfeld, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

The compilation of these statistics into a succinct, straightforward, and useable format is a godsend to readers, saving them from an exhaustive and cumbersome search process. Modest in length yet full of detail...this unique reference resource is of value for social science research. Essential.
CHOICE

In this extremely useful and readable book Simon and Hepburn have amassed a wealth of information that all who are interested in women's issues will find to be indispensable.
William L. O'Neill, Professor of History, Rutgers University; author of Coming Apart