The crisis of the welfare state in present days in Scandinavian countries is a major inspiration behind this collection of papers by nine scholars specialising in intellectual and social history, in women's studies and the history of gender in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. By tracing the varied role of women as producers and distributors of welfare during the period 1780-1930 in both metropolitan and provincial contexts, this collection argues that philanthropy predated, shaped and co-existed with the formation of the "classical" welfare state. Women had a crucial role to play in the making and implementation of philanthropic policies as an alternative to state sector strategies and provisions. This collection highlights the bias of gender and class in social work. It reveals little-known aspects of gender history in Scandinavian countries and indicates the need to revise our traditional notions of the absence of women from the public sphere before their political emancipation at the beginning of this century.