"It was a warm fall evening in Beijing when the idea for this book was born. Three social work academics, one Chinese and two Americans, discussed the state of the world for women in the 21st century and the longing for a text that could describe the struggles, and the successes of women in the fight for equity and safety throughout the world, on the table of Beijing style hotpot. As professors and feminist researchers, three of us share some similar but different research interests; Kristen's work is extensively on sexual violence in the United States; Annalisa, as a Philippine American Scholar, has been working on sex trafficking issues in Philippines and throughout the world; while Xiying, as a Chinese scholar with overseas training, has paid attention to dating violence, domestic violence, and school-bullying. Through the discussion, we found that though our research topics are different, the underlying issues of gender inequality and the surrounding social structures are similar, no matter the place on earth. A short time later, we invited Eugenia whose expertise on feminist global issues, and her being of mixed heritage and from Latin America, as well as her vast editorial experience, could help us make this book everything we knew it needed to be for maximum impact. We felt a compelling need to create a book in a collaborative spirit to include expert contributors that would provide a global lens to survey parts of the world - not just one region, one race, one voice- and study the intersectional issues of gender, race, class, culture, politics that arise in gender- based violence and the advocacy efforts to fight injustice and promote equality for women and girls, across the world"--