this narrow approach can increase gender inequalities for example when women are more likely to lose their jobs than men if the economy slows in response to monetary policy choices or when women work in sectors that are more sensitive to reductions in domestic spending women do much of this work the fact that this labour is unpaid does not mean that it comes without costs and most of these costs are borne by women and girls in terms of lost opportunities and foregone earnings for example evaluations of the benefits of public policy measures that reduce unpaid work such as installing water taps or improving access to childcare services will be inadequate if they do not consider the costs to women