The key objective of this paper, compiled by the UNRISD is to trace the evolution of ideas in the area of gender and care, and analyse some of the main strands of thinking that have contributed to this ongoing debate. The dynamics of care have been receiving more attention from activists, researchers and policy actors today, than they did around 30 years ago. This paper aims to demonstrate the effects of care on economic growth, while also examining the effect on society when women enter the paid workforce and time for care towards their families and household is reduced. It also demonstrates the different types of care and how analysts interpret its definition. It also links care and female employment, assessing the relationship between the two concepts. Furthermore, this paper examines the different theories put forward about the relationships between care, gender, and the economy.