Against all the odds, Southall Black Sisters, a poorly funded, radical Asian women's group, has become synonymous with black British feminism and activism. Active in Southall near London since early 1979, the Black Sisters have developed both a national and an international reputation. They have not merely offered welfare advice, but spearheaded many high profile campaigns on domestic violence, abused women who kill--such as the celebrated case of Kiranjit Ahluwalia--immigration rights, and the dangers posed to women by the rise of religious fundamentalism. This important anthology makes the connections between race, gender and class and ensures that a neglected area of current feminist debate is not lost to history through a failure to record insights gained in the heat of activism. A provocatively argued book, it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the relationship between the disempowered margins of society and the state and the power balance between men and women.

There was no one she could turn to for help and support. Domestic violence being such a taboo subject for many Asians in Britain, and family honour was at stake for anyone who went outside the family for help. Kiranjit in desperation, ended killing the man who had tortured her for so long, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. This book is her story, and how a group of women got together to petition against the sentence, and ultimately succeeded in helping her.

Don't Wake Me: The Ballad Of Nihal Armstrong is the unforgettable true story of a mother and her disabled son; a dramatic and poetic testimony of one woman's tireless battles in the struggle for her son's rights. Translating the raw experience of motherhood into a powerful verse monologue, Rahila Gupta reveals the challenges, impediments and frustrations of being repeatedly misunderstood - and of battles won against all the odds.

Against all the odds, Southall Black Sisters, a poorly funded, radical Asian women's group, has become synonymous with black British feminism and activism. Active in Southall near London since early 1979, the Black Sisters have developed both a national and an international reputation. They have not merely offered welfare advice, but spearheaded many high profile campaigns on domestic violence, abused women who kill--such as the celebrated case of Kiranjit Ahluwalia--immigration rights, and the dangers posed to women by the rise of religious fundamentalism. This important anthology makes the connections between race, gender and class and ensures that a neglected area of current feminist debate is not lost to history through a failure to record insights gained in the heat of activism. A provocatively argued book, it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the relationship between the disempowered margins of society and the state and the power balance between men and women.