This important and comprehensive volume vividly depicts the current status of women and girls in West Bengal. The analysis has been conducted in the framework of the socio-economic and politico-cultural ambience that has characterized the state in recent decades. The contributors highlight both areas of strength and vulnerability and clearly demonstrate that the status of women cannot be conceived as monolithic or static--it has many facets and is in a state of constant flux. The analysis of macro data is supported by revealing micro studies based on field surveys and an examination of cultural trends.