This classic text by Ester Boserup was one of the first comprehensive investigations undertaken into what happens to women in the process of economic and social growth throughout the so-called ‘developing world’. It highlights the role of women in creating economic growth, while also raising attention to the unequal distribution of this growth. She discusses structural factors that reinforce gender inequalities within and between countries, and in particular, the reproduction of gender segregations in the labour market. In the context of the ongoing struggle for women's rights, urbanization and poverty reduction, this book continues to be an important text and represents an international benchmark to study gender and development.