Tackling the challenge of compiling a print reference for complete coverage of women in today's world (since 2000) seems at first a task too large to do successfully. In fact, the three editors explicitly state in the introduction that they knew the encyclopedia would have gaps, as it would be practically impossible to comprehensively cover all possible topics about all women in the world. However, they do state that what the encyclopedia may lack in completeness “is more than made up for by its overall coherence and consistency of purpose” (vii). The editors do accomplish meeting the challenge and give readers a usable print reference to begin supplementing the lack of reference material focusing on women globally and through a gender studies lens.

The encyclopedia is not a catalog listing of “great women” in the world; in fact, the editors chose to avoid that angle altogether. Recognizing that setting standards of greatness speaks to patriarchal roots, they instead focus on events, organizations, theories, and communities that are structurally relevant to women in the world today. There are “Signal Biographies,” such as Judy Chicago or Vandana Shiva, where selected women are showcased because of their contributions to the evolution of women's status in the world.

The overall focus of the encyclopedia is limited to scholarship and events since 2000 with inclusion of foundational ideas when needed but omits any in-depth discussions of historical events or women. The encyclopedia's “Reader's Guide” gives an overall structure of a categorical listing that includes topics such as Education, Sexualities, War and Conflict, Health: Mental and Physical, with each category listing varied and focused alphabetical entries. However, the encyclopedia is organized by the complete list of all the entries, or articles as the editors call them, placed alphabetically throughout the four volumes. The reader can then choose to use the “Reader's Guide” to find an article related to a specific categorical theme or the “List of Articles” that lists all entries alphabetically and can be found at the beginning of each volume.

Individual entries vary from multiple-page descriptions of large-scale concepts such as Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights which are broken into subsections, to shorter descriptions of particular people or groups such as the Guerilla Girls or biographical entries. The black and white photographs included for most entries are relevant and give the reader an eye into certain entries such as a photograph of Wiccan items to complement the Wicca/Goddess Spirituality entry; however, others seem to be less specific to the entry (for example, included for the entry on Working Mothers, there is a photograph of a woman standing holding a small child while typing on a keyboard). But overall the photographs add extra detail to the entries and are an added plus to the encyclopedia.

The almost one thousand entries are supplemented with a glossary, resource guide, complete index, and an appendix that includes the entire Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action from The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (held in 1995). The editors state that they compiled the encyclopedia for an academic audience—especially “the community of feminist and women's and gender studies scholars” (viii). However, the entries are written in a clear and concise language that any scholar in a college or university would be able to use to learn more about women today in general or find information on a specific idea, organization, or person. For academic libraries with reference material discussing women historically, this four-volume encyclopedia will complement nicely with its focus on contemporary women and relevant topics but may not be suitable for a single item reference discussing women globally.