Hi there!, the correct answer is: It is against their cultural norms to make extended eye contact.
Amish women have the right to vote in Member's Meetings and also to nominate candidates for church ministry. However, they do not serve in the same church leadership. In public, Amish women will normally defer to her husband's decisions. In private, however, the reality is that the Amish woman is highly influential.
As regards working Amish women, they often work as waitresses, teachers, or hired households help while single. However, at work they are not allowed to make eye contact with their male customers. It is against their culture.
There is evidence that the Amish gender roles have shifted in recent years. Some amish women run their own businesses and in some cases their husbands even work in the businesses. Typical businesses owned by Amish women are: market stands, small retail shops. Amish women may be more likely to work away or to go into business once children have grown up.