Contributed by experts from divergent fields, the 15 essays that make this volume critically investigate the economic, social, religious and psychological aspects of women in every sphere of life, and suggest how we can measure the inherent inequalities. There are case studies from India and other South Asian countries which emphasize dominant nutritional and health disorders among women and children and also show that there exist pronounced inequalities between men and women with respect to wages, ownership of properties, opportunities in education, job opportunities and several other indicators. The volume concludes with the methodological aspects of gender discrimination and gender equality measures that are significant especially in the context of rural areas.