Here are some noteworthy sites that focus on women of color in the United States and around the world:

African American Female Communication

(Barbara Hill Hudson, Professor Emerita of English and author of African American Female Speech Communities: Varieties of Talk, has created this web site to "explore the many aspects of African American female communication patterns, both verbal and nonverbal." The site includes resources and information, including an extensive bibliography, on African American females from different social and cultural groups.)

African American Women: On-line Archival Collections

(Scanned images of manuscript pages and full text of the writings of African American women, from the Digital Scriptorium of the Duke U. Special Collections Library. Includes memoirs, poems, vignettes, and slave letters.)

African American Women's History

(This about.com site focuses on the history of African American women "from slavery through Reconstruction, Harlem Renaissance, and civil rights." Among its many resources are slave narratives, biographies of well-known and lesser-known women, coverage of African American nurses, women's clubs, participation in historical events, movements, and political activities, and more. Included, too, is a section on white women who worked for racial justice and the rights of African Americans.)

African American Women Writers of the 19th Century

(The Schomburg Center has made available this extraordinary digital collection of 52 published works by 19th-century black women writers. The entire database as well as individual works can be searched by keywords.)

African Women in Cinema

(This valuable web site provides extensive information about the works, thoughts, and practices of African women in the various aspects of cinema. Based on the research of Dr. Beti Ellerson of Howard University, the site includes a timeline, a teaching and learning guide to African Women Cinema Studies, a guide to Dr. Ellerson's film Sisters of the Screen, a clip from the film, a filmography and a bibliography, a detailed subject index to her book Sisters of the Screen: Women of Africa on Film, Video, and Television, links to related sites, and the voices and profiles of African women in cinema from diverse sources. Women from the African Diaspora are included.)

African Women's Bibliographic Database

(Librarian and Africa specialist Davis Bullwinkle has compiled this very extensive, searchable database of English-language materials from 1986 to the present on African women.)

Africa - Women

(Annotated links from Stanford University librarian Karen Fung's Africa South of the Sahara resource guide)

Afrol.com: Gender

(The "Gender" section (under "more topics") of the African News portal site Afrol.com offers news coverage of women in Africa. Also under "more topics" is a "Gay/Lesbian" section.)

Against Rape

(Information on women in Great Britain, including Black, ethnic minority, immigrant, migrant, and refugee women, who have suffered rape, racist sexual assault, or other forms of violence and harassment. The website combines information from the organizations Black Women's Rape Action Project and Women Against Rape.)

allAfrica: Women

(allAfrica has added a separate section on women that includes extensive, current news about women in Africa. The site is also available en français/in French.)

Association of African Women Scholars

(Organization devoted to "promoting excellence in scholarship, networking, & activism." Website offers resources in these areas.)

Bibliographic References for Multicultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence in the U.S.

(Sociologist Natalie J. Sokoloff has compiled this extensive bibliography of print resources dealing with multicultural domestic violence. There are separate sections for Theories and Analyses, Racial/Ethnic Groups, Socio-Economic Status, Religious Groups, Lesbians, Social and Personal Change, Rural Domestic Violence, and Women with Disabilities.)

Black American Feminism: A Multidisciplinary Bibliography

(Univ. of California librarian Sherri Barnes has created this extensive bibliography of works dealing with Black American feminism, from the antislavery and women's rights movements of the 19th century to the present. The bibliography "documents and validates an intellectual tradition that is continuously ghettoized within Black studies, women's studies and society as a whole." Sections include Arts & Humanities; Social Sciences; Education; Health, Medicine, and Science; (Auto)biography; Interviews; Speeches; Multidisciplinary Anthologies; Periodicals; and Web Sites.)

Blackgirl International

(Site describes itself as "the internet resource for black women." Offers links to other sites in a dozen categories, such as Art, Heritage, Issues, and Organizations.)

The Blacklist

(A list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people of African descent.)

Black Women in Mathematics

(This site, created and maintained by mathematics professor Scott W. Williams, provides a history of Black women in mathematics, biographies of Black female mathematicians, relevant articles, and links to related sites.)

BlackWomensHealth.com

(Information about women's health with a focus on black women.)

Books on Women's Studies Published in India

(Vedams Books International has created this useful site to call attention to recent books on Women's Studies published in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal and often focusing on women in this area. The listings include not just publication information but also [by clicking on "details"] tables of contents and excerpts from the book jacket or preface.)

BRIDGE

(This site, based in England, "supports gender advocacy and mainstreaming efforts by bridging the gaps between theory, policy, and practice with accessible and diverse gender information." Focusing especially on gender and development, it offers a searchable array of publications in such areas as "Conflicts and Emergencies," "Country Profiles," "Economics," "Governance," "Poverty," and Sectors." Some of its resources are also available in French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Albanian, and/or Chinese.)

Center for Reproductive Rights

(The Center for Reproductive Rights is an independent, non-profit organization "dedicated to ensuring that all women have access to appropriate and freely chosen reproductive health services." The website provides news coverage of reproductive rights legal issues, information about the status of reproductive rights around the world, fact sheets and other resources, an online newsletter, and more. Sections of the website are devoted to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. Some materials are available in Spanish, French, and Arabic as well as English.)

CLNET's Chicana Studies Home Page

(Information on Chicanas and Latinas, including interviews, announcements, discussion topics, resources, related web links, and more.)

DIANA: International Human Rights Database

(A collaborative database of electronic materials essential to human rights research. This part of the database, at the University of Toronto's Law Library, is devoted to Women's Human Rights. It includes a rich, well-organized set of links for legal research; documents from governmental and non-governmental organizations; and a bibliography of women's human rights documents.)

The Dimitra Project: Rural Women and Development

(A Belgium-based project, supported by the United Nations, designed to contribute to improvement of living conditions of rural women around the world through dissemination of information. The bilingual (French/English) site offers information about hundreds of organizations, projects, and publications, as well as copies of a newsletter and links to related sites.)

Decolonizing the University: Women of Color in Arizona Higher Education

(The web site for this conference, scheduled for April 1 and 2, 2005, has been included primarily because it contains links to a number of interesting women of color web sites.)

E-Mentoring for Women of Color in Engineering and Science

(A 2004 MentorNet study of responses to e-mentoring by African American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latina, and White protégés and mentors. Statistically significant differences in the needs, experiences, and perceived benefits were found for the different groups. A 2.9 MB Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] file.)

Eldis Gender Resource Guide

(Eldis, hosted by the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex in England, describes itself as a "gateway to information on development issues." Its valuable Gender Resource Guide offers abundant reports, news, and other material that focus on gender issues internationally.)

Female Genital Mutilation

(This web page from the human rights organization Amnesty International discusses female genital mutilation [FGM], also known as clitoridectomy or female circumcision. It defines and describes FGM, briefly explains why it is practiced, discusses FGM as a human rights violation, outlines how international law regards the practice, and describes the work of Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs] to combat FGM.)

Female Genital Mutilation Education and Networking Project

(Marianne Sarkis' site offers extensive resources for research, teaching, and activism regarding female genital mutilation, including a bibliography, information about films, legislation, health concerns, religious issues, e-mail lists, and more. Some attention also to male circumcision.)

Feminist Africa

(This site offers full text issues of Feminist Africa, a scholarly journal currently hosted by the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town. The journal provides a forum for "progressive, cutting-edge feminist intellectual dialogue and gender research on the African continent." Each issue focuses on a single topic, such as "Intellectual Politics," "Women Mobilised," and "Subaltern Sexualities.")

Femme Noir

(Resource-rich site whose content focuses primarily on lesbians of color but also includes attention to non-lesbian-identified women of color. The site's extensive offerings are arranged into more than a dozen sections, including Arts & Entertainment, Events, Leaders and Legends, Multimedia, Poet's Corner, Articles, News, Lifestyles, Links to related sites, and more. The site also includes a Message Board and a section entitled In Our Own Words.)

Fempress

(Monthly Spanish-language magazine devoted to women's issues and to more fairness between women and men. Primary focus is on Latin America. The website includes full-text articles from the current issue.)

Gender Equality and Women's Development in China

(The Information Office of China's State Council issued this white paper in August 2005. In addition to a description of the State Mechanism to Promote Gender Equality, sections deal with the economy, poverty elimination, participation in decision making and management, education, health, marriage and the family, the environment, and legal guarantees of women's rights and interests.)

Gender-Related Electronic Forums: Women of Color

(Annotated, frequently-updated listing of women- and gender-related email discussion forums focusing on women of color.)

Indian Gender Resource Center

(Resources concerning women and gender issues in India, as well as lists of gender resources internationally. Includes news, conferences, definitions of gender terminology, gender-focused organizations in India, and brief biographies of a number of accomplished Indian women.)

International Gender Studies Resources

(This valuable website from Berkeley's Institute for International Studies offers "research and teaching materials meant to facilitate the integration of Women's and Gender Studies into International Area Studies...." Included are general and specific bibliographies and filmographies on issues pertaining to women and gender in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Arab World, and among minority cultures in North America and Europe, as well as links to related sites.)

International Women's Health Coalition

(The IWHC "works to generate health and population policies, programs, and funding that promote and protect the rights and health of girls and women worldwide, particularly in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and countries in postsocialist transition." The web site offers reports and resources that focus on three themes: adolescent health & rights; sexual rights; and access to safe abortion.)

Internet Women's History Sourcebook

(Paul Halsall's awesome, vast resource for online material on women's history, beginning in prehistoric times and working its way, area by area and issue by issue, to modern times. It covers individual websites, mega-sites, and secondary articles and reviews. Includes substantial coverage of Asia and Africa. An amazing site!)

Isis International - Manila

(Isis International is a feminist NGO [non-governmental organization] dedicated to women's information and communication needs. The Manila-based branch focuses on issues advancing women's rights, leadership, and empowerment in Asia and the Pacific. The site provides reports, news and announcements, information about online and offline resources, and links to relevant sites. It is also the home of the online publication Women in Action.)

JENdA: A Journal of Culture and African Women Studies

(A peer-reviewed ejournal devoted to the promotion of research and scholarship of African women to the global African community and friends of Africa. JENdA documents and responds to debates on women's history and studies in African social, cultural, political and economic systems. The journal is published by Africa Resources Center, Inc.)

Journal of South Asia Women Studies

(Current and back issues containing articles about women's issues in South Asia.)

Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering

(This U.S.-based journal, founded in 1994, is "designed as a unique and much-needed resource for educators, managers, and policymakers. . . . [It] publishes original, peer-reviewed papers that report innovative ideas and programs for classroom teachers, scientific studies, and formulation of concepts related to the education, recruitment, and retention of under-represented groups in science and engineering." More information and access to abstracts are available at the journal's web site.)

Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights

(Karamah focuses on domestic and global issues of human rights for Muslims, with particular emphasis on Muslim women. The site offers legal news, information about civil rights projects, online and print publications, and more.)

Latinitas

(Latinitas describes itself as "the webzine for Latina girls." Actually, it is two webzines: one for Latina teens, the other for pre-teen Latina girls. It includes sections devoted to music reviews, poetry by Latinas, advice, Latinitas traditions, "real life," profiles of noteworthy Latinas, and more. Much of the content is written by as well as for Latinas. Parts of the site are also available in Spanish.)

Lesbians of Color Site

(Yolanda Retter's site includes listings of lesbians and gays of color, bibliographies, archives, articles, interviews, news, organizations, a chronology 1950-1995, and more.)

The Lives and Careers of Minority Women Scientists

(Detailed summary of a study by Anne J. MacLachlan on minorities in the University of California System who received Ph.D.s between 1980 and 1990 in science and engineering. Though the larger study looked at all under-represented minorities and a matched group of all other ethnicities, this detailed summary focuses on women and looks at how and why they succeeded and whether their careers correspond to their training and aspirations. The summary includes statistics about minority women Ph.D. recipients in science and engineering fields in the 1980s and 1990s.)

Making Face, Making Soul: A Chicana Feminist Homepage

(Susana Gallardo's site offers a wealth of resources about Chicana life: biographies, bibliographies, syllabi, literature, other cultural resources, and more.)

Manushi: A Journal about Women and Society

(Articles from the journal, based in India, and links to other sites focusing on Indian women)

Middle East & Islamic Studies Collection: Women & Gender Issues

(Links to news articles, essays, and other online material about women and gender in the Middle East, put together by a specialist bibliographer at the Cornell University Library.)

Muslim Women's Homepage

(Huma Ahmad's site offers extensive links to information about "the true stance Islam takes on gender issues and the role of women.")

Muslim Women's League

(Web site of "a nonprofit American Muslim organization working to implement the values of Islam and thereby reclaim the status of women as free, equal and vital contributors to society." The site includes news and analysis, essays, position papers, recommended reading, links to related sites, and more.)

Muslim Women's Studies

(Sponsored by the Zahira Abdin Chair for the Study of Women and Gender, this web site offers a number of essays that combine women's studies with a focus on Islam. More resources are planned. The essays and other materials all seem to be the work of Mona Abul-Fadl.)

National Women's Health Information Center

(Also called "4women.gov," this site offers many links to women's health information to lay people and health professionals. Special sections on topics such as girls' health, heart disease, disabilities, and pregnancy. One section offers extensive resources focusing on minority women). Sponsored by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Native American and Other Ethnic Women on the WWW

(Part of the excellent University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian's site, this page provides annotated links to a number of Native American sites that include substantial information about women. Lesser attention to other racial and ethnic groups.)

OnlineWomeninPolitics.org

(This web site, managed by the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics, provides news, statistics, resources, and other information concerning women's participation in politics, governance, and decision making internationally. )

Preparing Women and Minorities for the IT Workforce: The Role of Nontraditional Educational Pathways

(A 2005 study by the AAAS that examines the surprisingly large role that "nontraditional educational pathways" play in preparing women and underrepresented minorities for the information technology (IT) workforce.)

RAWA: Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan

(Pro-human-rights, anti-fundamentalist activist site.)

RIMA: Red Informativa de Mujeres de Argentina

(This is the Spanish-language site for the Argentinian Women's Information Network. It includes news, a legal library, information about the RIMA email list, and well over a dozen other sections of information on such topics as Health, Childhood and Adolescence, Sexualities, and Violence, as well as links to related sites.)

Sakyadhita: International Association of Buddhist Women

(Information about women in Buddhism and related links.)

SAWNET (South Asian Women's Issues)

(News and information about books, films, health, electronic resources, and more for women from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.)

Servicio de Noticias de la Mujer/Women's News Service

(A bilingual Spanish/English site that specializes in reporting on women and gender issues in Latin America. The site includes a searchable database (currently only in Spanish) of more than 360 news articles published in Latin America in the past two years. Each database record includes the article's title, author, country, number of words, a summary of the article, and the cost and procedure for obtaining the article. The site also invites submission of other material relevant to the situation of women in Latin America.)

SisterMentors

(SisterMentors is a project that helps women of color doctoral candidates to complete their dissertations and get their Ph.D.s. The women, in turn, mentor and support girls of color in middle and high schools. The women and girls are of different races and ethnicities, including Latina, African American, Asian American, and girls and women who are immigrants.)

Southeast Asia Women's Studies Bibliography

(This excellent resource from the UC Berkeley library lists reference materials, books, journal articles, and websites for scholarly research related to women in Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.)

The State of World Population 2000

(Released in September 2000, this annual report of the United Nations Population Fund documents extensive gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls and discusses the effects of this discrimination on individuals and societies. The report's sections include Gender and Health; Violence Against Women and Girls; Men, Reproductive Rights, and Gender Equality; Counting the Cost of Gender Inequality; Women's Rights are Human Rights; and Working Towards a Better Future. The report includes graphs and charts of key facts and figures, and related links. It is also available in French and Spanish.)

Stree Academic Publishers

(A small independent publisher based in Calcutta, India, Stree publishes scholarly books in English and in Bengali on social and women's issues, especially issues facing women in India today. The site provides descriptions of each of the books Stree has published or is about to publish, including many that are hard to find elsewhere.)

3BlackChicks...Review Flicks

(The site started in 1999 with a simple question: why are there "no" nationally known Black movie reviewers? The site offers movie reviews, often reviews of the same film by more than one reviewer, illustrating their very reasonable contention that "We Are Not a Monolith.")

Today's Immigrant Woman Entrepreneur

(A 2004 study that Dr. Susan C. Pearce did for the American Immigration Law Foundation. The study examines the rise of immigrant women entrepreneurs in the United States and profiles them as a group, using data from the 2000 Decennial Census and other sources. Among the report's findings are that the number of immigrant women business owners has increased 468 percent since 1980 and that the largest group of immigrant women entrepreneurs [41.6%] comes from Latin America and the Caribbean, while the second largest group [29.4%] comes from Asia and the Pacific Islands.)

Voices from the Gaps: Women Writers of Color

("An instructional World Wide Web site focusing on the lives and works of women writers of color." Includes images and audio files "wherever possible.")

WIDNET (Women in Development Network)

(Bilingual [English/French] site offering statistics and other information about women's health, education, labor, political participation, etc. around the world)

WomenAction

(A "global information, communication and media network that enables NGOs to actively engage in the Beijing+5 review process with the long term goal of women's empowerment, with a special focus on women and media." The web site, available in English, French, and Spanish, offers information, involvement, and resources focusing on Africa, Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean, and Europe & North America.)

Women and Gender in Chinese Studies Network

(WAGNet aims to link European scholarship in Chinese women's/gender studies; however, the Network is open to scholars throughout the world. Among the resources the website offers are news; announcements of academic conferences, jobs, and other opportunities; extensive links to relevant sites; abstracts of member publications; descriptions of other relevant publications; and a searchable database of WAGNet members. Reading lists and working papers will eventually also be available.)

Women and International Development Program (MSU)

(A valuable collection of resources from the WID program at Michigan State University. The site includes annotated Internet links arranged by region, annotated bibliographies, abstracts of several hundred inexpensive articles for sale, a film guide, information about relevant academic programs at MSU, a promised listing of MSU gender-related courses, and more.)

Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering

(Extensive collection of links put together by Ellen Spertus. Less useful than it used to be because it needs updating.)

Women in Action

(Women in Action is a tri-annual publication from Philippines-based Isis International that covers a broad range of issues affecting women globally, with special emphasis on the needs and concerns of women in the Global South. Each online issue covers a different topic, such as "Examining Feminist and Social Movements," "Corporatised Media and ICT Systems and Structures," "Women in Prisons," "Young Women," and more.)

Women in India: How Free? How Equal?

(An independent, analytical report commissioned by the United Nations in 2001. Written by Kalyani Menon-Sen and A.K. Shiva Kumar, it examines gender inequalities in various aspects of social and economic life in India--health, education, work, assets, decision-making, etc.--and makes suggestions for achieving greater gender equality.)

Women, Ink: Women and Development Resources

(A project of the International Women's Tribune Centre to market and distribute resources on women and development worldwide. It includes well-organized, annotated listings from publishers all over the world. Though a commercial site, it offers much valuable information.)

Women of Color Health Data Book

(Provided by the National Institutes of Health, this 178-page .pdf document offers extensive information intended to help policy makers and women's health advocates understand the health status of women of color and assist them in addressing their needs. Organized in three parts: Factors Affecting the Health of Women of Color, Health Assessment of Women of Color, and Issues Related to Improving the Health of Women of Color.)

Women of Color Resources: UMBC and Beyond

(Though it may seem egocentric or circular or both, I've included this link because it brings together several women of color resources: annotated listings of websites, email lists, and new or changed academic links. People come to this page via various paths and might otherwise miss some of these resources.)

Women of Color Web Site

(An excellent resource created by Yolanda Retter, this site contains "links to and original material on the history and culture of women of color in the U.S. and other countries." It includes bibliographies, articles, interviews, notable women, and Internet sites focusing on African American, Native American, Asian Pacific Islander, Latina/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and Multiracial/Multiethnic women.)

Women of Color, Women of Words

(This site, created by performing arts librarian Angela E. Weaver, provides extensive resources about African American women playwrights. The site includes biographical information, listings and descriptions of the plays, annotated links to relevant sites, information about productions and about theaters that perform African-American and multicultural theater, a bibliography of dissertations and critical resources, and instructions for joining a related email list.)

Women of India

(This site offers coverage of wide-ranging topics on the history and status of women in India over the centuries. Among the topics covered are Sati, historical women, and women's museums. The site includes a large number of photographs.)

Women's Biography Sites

(This useful site created by Sharon Hushka provides links to more than 250 women's biography web sites. They are arranged both alphabetically and in nine categories: Arts & Entertainment; Diversity; General; HerStory; International; Of Interest; Politics; Science, Math, & Technology; and Sports.)

Women's ICT-Based Enterprise for Development

(The purpose of the Women's ICT-Based Enterprise for Development project is "to help increase the number of sustainable ICT-based enterprises run by groups of poor women in developing countries." The web site provides online guidance and networking about women's ICT-based enterprises in developing countries. Among the resources the site provides is a "Handbook for More and Better Women's ICT-Based Enterprises," case studies [also available through Eldis--see next entry below], related publications, events, contacts, and links to related sites.)

Women's ICT-Based Enterprise for Development: Case Studies Page

("A set of twelve analytical case studies of the women's IT sector enterprises in developing countries. Each provides a summary of performance, success factors, good practices and risks. In total, they show the potential for an IT sector approach to deliver gender goals for development." The countries represented in the studies [in some cases, by more than one study] include Mozambique, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, India, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia. From Eldis, which also has a very extensive Gender Resource Guide from an international perspective.)

Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace

(Women's Learning Partnership is an international organization dedicated to women's leadership and empowerment. It works with independent partner organizations in the Global South, particularly in Muslim-majority societies, to empower women to transform their families, communities, and societies. The tri-lingual website (English/French/Arabic) offers useful information about the status of women in the 20 countries where it has partners. It also offers a downloadable training handbook in 16 languages, information about programs on leadership and empowerment, on ICT capacity building, on women's human rights, and more, and a number of other resources.)

Women'sNet

(South-African-based web site "designed to enable South African women to use the internet to find the people, issues, resources, and tools needed for women's social action." The site includes sections for News, HIV/AIDS information, Women and Human Rights, Preventing Violence Against Women, Gender in Parliament, Health, New Communication Technologies, Women and Enterprise, a Directory of South African Women's Organizations, and more.)

WomenWatch

("The UN Internet Gateway on the Advancement and Empowerment of Women." It provides information and data about women around the world and about the global agenda for improving the status of women.)

WON: Women on the Net

(Extensive, well-organized collection of online resources that address the interests and concerns of women, especially women of color. Note: the site's "main index" is several layers down.)

WOUGNET: Women of Uganda Network

(WOUGNET aims to promote the use of information and communication technologies [ICTs] for the better being of Ugandan women. The web site offers a rich array of online resources related to women in Uganda and in Africa more generally on such topics as agriculture, business, health, human rights, education, the environment, and more. The site also includes information about the WOUGNET email list.)