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Synopsis This book consists of nine essays written by the author over a period of two decades. These are ably supported by an introduction which expands on issues and themes either touched upon or present in a nascent from in the essays. They highlight the pattern of inclusion-exclusion, segregation and differentiation of women as students and as participants in the workforce. The book attempts first to focus on the family, socialisation and education, and then on organisational aspects of universities and professional life of women. It situates women in the family and the school as institutions which perpetuate gender inequality. These are also the sites of social reproduction which communicate to girls and boys the binary opposition of femininity and masculinity and the corresponding evaluative component of inferiority and superiority. Thus, the book explores the paradoxes in the lives of women by interrogating the process of formal education. On the one hand, new opportunities in education and career are expanding the options of women, whereas on the other, most women do not make choices on the basis of their intellectual capacities and aspirations. Thought provoking, critical and analytical, this anthology will be invaluable to scholars, policymakers, planners and activists. All those involved with women’s issues in the departments of sociology, education and women’s studies will also greatly benefit from it.