The essays and creative work in this issue of Feminist Studies explore two central aspects of women’s lives—motherhood and economic activity—in a variety of settings: Argentinean women whose children were kidnapped by the recently replaced military regime; a Pakistani mother of daughters; urban and rural African women; English and Canadian women factory workers; English social workers.

Nora Amalia Femenía, in "Argentina's Mothers of Plaza de Mayo: The Mourning Process from junta to Democracy," suggests that the extraordinary circumstances under which the mothers lost their children prevented a normal mourning process from taking place but also made available emotional energy that led to public, collective protest. Their children and other relatives, often young parents themselves, simply disappeared: kidnapped, held in concentration camps, and murdered. The mothers generally refused to believe that their loved ones were dead and demanded "let them appear alive." Most significantly, they organized a continuing public protest in the center of Buenos Aires—even while the junta remained in power. And although some of them disappeared themselves, the demonstrations continued. How did these women, mainly middle aged and older, often socially isolated because of the terror others had of the consequences of offering to help them, manage to conduct this campaign in the midst of a repressive regime? How did they support themselves psychologically and financially?

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