In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, the number of women in the government and the work force has declined dramatically during the past decade. The message behind the decline is often an old one: a woman's place is in the home, taking care of children.

In response, however, many women are sending out the message that their place is wherever they want it to be. They are organizing to secure political, social, and economic equality in the region's emerging democracies. They are using international human rights principles and laws to advance their rights and opportunities, and they are forcing more and more countries to recognize that women's human rights must be part of the discourse of democracy.

Bending the Bow: Targeting Women's Human Rights and Opportunities is a publication from the Network Women's Program. It focuses on some key women's rights issues throughout the region, including past developments and hopes for the future, and also presents reports from Soros foundations in individual countries and areas of the region.