The thesis of this book is that people's lives -both women's and men's-may be enriched through opportunities for leisure. Examining and reflecting on gender relations empowers individuals to work for personal and social changes that will do much to enhance the leisure lives of women and men. We hope this book provides a synthesis of where an understanding of women, gender, and leisure is after the first decade of the twenty-first century and will provide a framework for future activism as well as future research. Most of the chapters and discussion in the book focus on Western cultures, since this is where research on women, gender, and leisure has been concentrated to date. Nevertheless, we have included discussion on other cultures where possible, and we hope that the text itself will stimulate an interest in research within diverse cultures and around the globe. Although the primary audience for this book is graduate students, researchers, and senior undergraduates, we have written it in a way that also makes it accessible to a wider audience. We explain the terminology used and incorporate examples that illustrate concepts and theories. We seek to put togetherthe most current thinking about leisure issues relevant to girls/women and boys/men as we introduce ideas and provide a lens for examining the meanings, experiences, and practice of leisure.