The classification scheme we developed for the bibliography is the same as the one we used for the policy document from the Vancouver Conference, policy woven from a web of values. The five main classifications are The Earth, Community, Power and Sustainable Livelihoods, as well as Spirituality. There are two other sections entitled Tools for Change and References, that include two subsections, Documents and Journals. After much debate, these titles were selected as being somewhat intuitive and with appeal to a wide range of individuals who would be using the bibliography. In some ways, when one is dealing with such a meta-level issue as gender and sustainable development, everything relates to everything else and new properties emerge from that holistic nature.
Classification systems are, therefore, partial and subjective, as are all classification schemes.
Although we recognize our subjectivity, we hope that our broad categories make common sense and are an aid, not a hindrance to the reader. The Earth refers to information dealing with women and nature, women and resources, everything that we do with respect to our earth and our relationships with nature. Biodiversity is, therefore, included in this section, as is a lot of ecofeminist literature, much of which examines gender and nature. Community refers to all aspects of community, its structuring, form and process, and includes the built and non-built communities. Power refers to issues such as governance, dominance and patriarchy, as well as women and violence.