An examination of the characteristics and evolution of both Home Economics (HE) and women in development focuses on pivotal issues at the intersection of these two fields. Data obtained from Denmark, the Caribbean, Africa, and the US show that HE was only for girls and focused on domestic work in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In Africa and the Caribbean HE was aimed at training girls as domestic servants. In the last half of the 20th century HE welcomed, and sometimes even required, males to attend classes and the criteria was broadened to include health and consumer education. In many areas HE has improved standards of living and helped to address such important issues as teenage pregnancy, school dropout, and domestic violence.
