Nineteen Arab women journalists speak out about what it’s like to report on their changing homelands in this first-of-its-kind essay collection, with a foreword by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour “A stirring, provocative and well-made new anthology . . . that rewrites the hoary rules of the foreign correspondent playbook, deactivating the old clichés.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times A growing number of intrepid Arab and Middle Eastern sahafiyat—female journalists—are working tirelessly to shape nuanced narratives about their changing homelands, often risking their lives on the front lines of war. From sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo to the difficulty of traveling without a male relative in Yemen, their challenges are unique—as are their advantages, such as being able to speak candidly with other women at a Syrian medical clinic or with men on Whatsapp who will go on to become ISIS fighters, rebels, or pro-regime soldiers. In Our Women on the Ground, nineteen of these women tell us, in their own words, about what it’s like to report on conflicts that (quite literally) hit close to home. Their daring and heartfelt stories, told here for the first time, shatter stereotypes about the region’s women and provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is frequently misunderstood. INCLUDING ESSAYS BY: Donna Abu-Nasr, Aida Alami, Hannah Allam, Jane Arraf, Lina Attalah, Nada Bakri, Shamael Elnoor, Zaina Erhaim, Asmaa al-Ghoul, Hind Hassan, Eman Helal, Zeina Karam, Roula Khalaf, Nour Malas, Hwaida Saad, Amira Al-Sharif, Heba Shibani, Lina Sinjab, and Natacha Yazbeck

Standing Our Ground: Women, Environmental Justice, and the Fight to End Mountaintop Removal examines women’s efforts to end mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia. Mountaintop removal coal mining, which involves demolishing the tops of hills and mountains to provide access to coal seams, is one of the most significant environmental threats in Appalachia, where it is most commonly practiced. The Appalachian women featured in Barry’s book have firsthand experience with the negative impacts of Big Coal in West Virginia. Through their work in organizations such as the Coal River Mountain Watch and the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, they fight to save their mountain communities by promoting the development of alternative energy resources. Barry’s engaging and original work reveals how women’s tireless organizing efforts have made mountaintop removal a global political and environmental issue and laid the groundwork for a robust environmental justice movement in central Appalachia.

Women's studies.

“Thoughtful, highly relevant, and frequently brilliant essays on the contemporary ideas, organization, activities, and agency of Muslim women” (Nikki Keddie, author of Women in the Middle East: Past and Present). The world has drastically changed in recent years due to armed conflict, economic issues, and cultural revolutions both positive and negative. Nowhere have those changes been felt more than in the Middle East and Muslim worlds. And no one within those worlds has been more affected than women, who face new and vital questions. Has Arab Spring made life better for Muslim women? Has new media empowered feminists or is it simply a tool of the opposition? Will the newfound freedoms of Middle Eastern women grow or be taken away by yet more oppressive regimes? This “provocative volume” has been updated with a new introduction and two new essays, offering insider views on how Muslim women are navigating technology, social media, public space, the tension between secularism and fundamentalism, and the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship (Nikki Keddie, Professor Emerita of Middle Eastern and Iranian History, UCLA).

In this revolutionary volume, as part of their overall effort to advocate for the rights of Aboriginal women, D. Memee LavellHarvard and Jeannette Corbiere Lavell have brought together a multitude of voices to speak on the issues facing Aborigi- nal mothers in contemporary society. Beginning with an ex- amination of the experience of childbirth-the initiation into motherhood-the contributing authors illustrate its potential as a source of empowerment and revitalization for our nations. Through their own unique perspectives, the women bring us to an understanding of the variety of Aboriginal mothering prac- tices, the impacts of colonization and government legislation on Aboriginal mothers, and literary representations of Aborigi- nal mothering. Together, these women have worked to reveal not only the connection between the longstanding historical oppression experienced by Aboriginal women and the dire contemporary circumstances of many Aboriginal communities, but also the power of Aboriginal mothers to revitalize and transform our communities. They are truly the givers of new life.

Stories have power, but only if people know them. "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom: Transportation Women Tell Their Stories" details the rise of 18 pioneering women in transportation by telling their stories in their words. From the woman who ran the Federal Aviation Administration during 9/11 to the woman who helped make seatbelts standard in cars, "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom" provides raw stories of how these women learned to succeed in a white, male-dominated industry. Authored by seasoned transportation authorities Grace Crunican and Liz Levin, "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom" presents leadership lessons from women who changed the world.