Women in the Portuguese Colonial Empire: The Theatre of Shadows compiles an extensive collection of essays on the status of women throughout the vast Portuguese colonial space, from Brazil to the Far East, crossing Europe, Africa and India, between the 16th and the 20th century.

"Women in the Portuguese Colonial Empire: The Theatre of Shadows seeks to remedy two lacunae in scholarly literature by putting firmly and clearly into view both the global historical significance of Portuguese colonial history in general, and also more specifically the contribution of women to its creation and operation over several hundred years. [...] Drawing on the pioneering work of more than 20 international scholars hailing from a wide range of disciplines, and covering an impressive range of times and places, this is an intriguing and important contribution to many scholarly fields, its implications and ramifications reaching far beyond any narrow specialist confines." - David Inglis, Professor of Sociology, University of Aberdeen, UK."Women in the Portuguese Colonial Empire: The Theatre of Shadows, edited by Clara Sarmento, is a significant and bold contribution to the field of Lusophone Cultural Studies. [...] From studies encompassing witchcraft and mysticism, to women as both slaves and slave owners, Women in the Portuguese Colonial Empire provides a complex array of insights into women in the domestic, public and cultural spheres. It widens the theoretical debates in contemporary feminism to take account of the peculiarities and similarities of Portuguese-speaking women’s imperial experience. Breaking new ground, Women in the Portuguese Colonial Empire is an invaluable resource for any scholar who is interested in understanding the cultural and historical significance of women in the Portuguese colonial process." - Phillip Rothwell, Professor of Portuguese, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey."The diversity of the book is really one of its strong points, for it gives some impression of the very wide range of feminist scholarship concerned with the position of women in the ‘Theatre of Shadows' that is the Portuguese empire. I hope that this publication will bring this important genre to the notice of a wide international audience." - Michael Pearson - University of Technology, Sydney"This collection of essays provides a useful multidisciplinary approach to the retrieval of women's voices and experiences in the history of portuguese colonialism. The volume is certainly a treasure trove of new archival work and valuable data in specific history fields, most notably female slavery in Brazil." - Hilary Owen, University of Manchester.