This work should provide valuable insights into the situation of women in distance education around the world. A wide variety of evidence from different countries supports the conclusion that open and distance learning has the potential to provide equal opportunities in higher and continuing education and that these are currently being missed. The author provides evidence that distance education, while involving a degree of risk to the stability of families and relationships, nevertheless offers women a chance which, on balance, is worth taking. The author argues that it is up to distance...