The organizations they found and the work they do differ from the more male-dominated emphasis on industrial development and recruitment. From their own economic experiences, the women tend to define development more broadly than jobs and income to include education, democratic participation, and dignity. Women's experience in the domestic economy has given them a different perspective on community development. The domestic economy deals with people and their needs, treating people as human beings, not as raw material or commodities, not just labor force. Women's work is conserving.
Women make things last.
Preservation, not exploitation, of resources is women's style. As gardeners they understand the need to care for water and soil. They work to meet basic needs. Although practical and useful, they have time for the beautiful, the aesthetic. There are flowers in the garden, designs in the quilts, and songs when they work.