This book makes a comparison of the health policies in Barbados and Grenada during the 1979-1983 period as they relate to working-class women. After analyzing the state in capitalist societies through a review of the literature, Dr. Rodney shifts her focus to the state in the periphery, and the evolution of public health care systems (PHC) there. She seeks to determine how PHC systems in both states were influenced by changing regimes during a period of political transition, and discover whether the government sufficiently caters to the health care needs of women. This book gets to the core of socio-economic health care policies in Barbados and Grenada, revealing their strengths and weaknesses, and includes well-researched suggestions for improvements.