The book addresses the challenges faced by women on the two shores of the Mediterranean. While in the European Union’s Mediterranean countries inequality is mostly linked to the social sphere and in particular refers to labour market dynamics, in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) area the social and private spheres are blended and cultural and religious factors have a great impact on women autonomy and opportunities beyond the family perimeter. The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of the Journal of the Balkans and Near Eastern Studies.