Women and Labour Organizing in Asia: Diversity, Autonomy and Activism, Edited by Kaye Broadbent and Michele Ford, London; New York: Routledge, 2008, 174 pp., ISBN 0-415-41315-x (hbk), and ISBN 0-203-93822-4 (ebk).

Both the title and some opening remarks raised this reviewer's hypothetical quizzical eyebrow – creating early scepticism on the veracity and scale of the issues as so bluntly and boldly stated, whilst nonetheless being anxious to share their voyage of discovery. The surprise came not from ignorance that Asian working women face myriad and potential gargantuan problems, but that there are indeed such structured organizations and responses to these issues - and in countries which are traditionally viewed by many Western democracies as ones which may discourage or proscribe such activities. I was pleased to be disabused and enlightened. Each chapter deals with an area of Asia, after the opening overview by the editors. Given the mostly specific material and detailed examination in each instance, or occasional broader studies, it is impossible in this short review to give a concise précis of each author's contribution, and to do each learned dissertation justice. But each section contains an introduction and conclusion, which invariably have excellent though all too brief summaries on the social, political, work and union activities of the area: most conclude that, even if there is (rare) formal recognition of women's role within unions (China), equality is illusive or non-existent, power is still the domain of men, and the challenges facing these women have a common thread – balancing work and family commitments, cultural and political pressures, patriarchal attitudes and control, gender discrimination and harassment, equal rights and pay, and willingness to participate in formalized movements. In chapter 1, Broadbent and Ford comment on diversity, autonomy and activism. Their book seeks to contribute to the debate on union activities for women in Asia, and argue that segregated or exclusively women-only organizations provide an alternative to the male-dominated unions. They are often essential outlets for sharing concerns which may otherwise be viewed as possibly forbidden or certainly discouraged in patriarchal societies. Their concluding comments leading into the body of the book are concise and insightful – they give us the motivation for their work, and deserve quoting here: “What mixed mainstream union leaders and union members must remember is that employers, the state and patriarchal cultures divide the working class according to employment status, gender, ethnicity and religion. What we understand from the following chapters is that women are resisting these impulses in a number of innovative ways which have the potential to have a transformative impact on the trajectories of working-class movements throughout Asia.” In chapter 2, on Indonesia, Ford looks at “separate organizing within unions.” After Suharto's repressive regime ended in 1998, the largely feminized export industries organized as unions, with women eventually forming separate departments within male-dominated structures – although they have had a high profile and been actively involved over decades. Chapter 3, by Fang Lee Cooke, is entitled “China: labour organizations representing women.” She points out that “dual and contradictory roles of workers' representation and the implementation of state policy are manifested in the pragmatic and gradualist approach adopted by . . . officials.” In chapter 4, Vicki Crinis considers Malaysian “women, labour activism and unions.” She points to economic trade liberalization overshadowing unions' activism, and the influx of foreign workers as a barrier to organizing. Crinis tells us that unionists have joined with feminist NGOs to raise awareness of their rights, domestic violence, and sexual harassment at home and work. A Sri Lankan perspective by Janaka Biyanwila, on “contradictions for women in labour organizing,” is presented in chapter 5. He looks specifically at the health care sectors. He states that, within the authoritarian and militarized state, unions allow for some form of democratic debate …