Daughters of Caliban

Haitian women and "voodoo" healing; Cuban women in the midst of economic crisis; Jamaican women and the unspoken racism of beauty contests. These are just three of the dimensions of this multifaceted survey of contemporary Caribbean women. Looking at a region where race and gender play vital roles in forming cultural identity, this book explores a range of themes of interest to women. The essays mix sociology, economics and cultural studies to bring to life some of the most important issues facing the region's women. It analyzes the economic impact of globalization by looking at women's work in free-trade zones and inter-island trading. It examines health and the law, focusing on AIDS, folk medicine and legal discrimination, and the recurring cultural concerns in such fields as language, religion and music. Covering Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico as well as the Commonwealth Caribbean, this book reveals many of the common challenges facing women across the region. With contributions from a range of feminist scholars, from the Caribbean, North America and Europe, it offers an insight into women's thinking in a dynamic movement in the Caribbean's social development.

Consuelo López Springfield is an Assistant Dean in the College of Letters and Science at the University of Madison–Wisconsin, where she teaches women’s studies. She has published widely in Caribbean studies.