I describe this outrage, the darkness of persistent poverty and the low status of women, and the scandalous injustices that ravage the health of poor women in many poorer countries. Yet there is another side to this story. Change is possible, brought on by the courage of women to shine a light in the darkness and take action. These efforts are represented here by the poetry of women and the work of women’s groups. They are also expressed through the images of the koru used throughout the book. Koru, in the Maori language of New Zealand, symbolizes not only the unfolding of the fern frond striving toward the light, but also a new beginning, renewal, and hope for the future. —Anne Firth Murray