Post-Communist Transition and Women's Agency in Eastern Europe

The exigencies of post-communist transition have no doubt affected women's lives enormously--the rise, e.g., in human trafficking in Eastern Europe. Contributions to this volume address this and other challenges posed by the resultant gender gap in poverty in the region. Yet, other articles chronicle the heritage of communism in the Soviet Union, which despite the "double burden" of challenging professional work and daunting domestic responsibilities, provided women with education and expectations that ensured, for some, a successful, if still difficult, transition to democratic rule and a market economy. This at times paradoxical situation is investigated under the rubrics of "History and Commemoration," "Women in Post-Soviet Russia," "The Soviet Heritage Beyond the Border," and "Revelations in Women's Narratives."