many benefit from womens unpaid labour including care for others performed in households firms for example rely on the human resources that are produced and sustained through such work the unequal distribution of the costs of care therefore supports economic growth since those who benefit from these investments in the next generation do not pay the associated costs the world bank has examined this relationship and concluded that improving gender equality is smart economics that is it contributes to growth and economic development in fact whether greater gender equality or greater gender inequality is associated with economic growth depends on the specific indicator used