Economic development and the empowerment of women are intertwined: gender inequality declines as a country develops, even without measures specifically targeted at women. And some evidence indicates that policies aimed at improving gender equality can help development. But, CEPR DP8734 argues, development alone is not enough to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women is not enough to spark development. Deprived of such a magic bullet, policymakers may need to commit to gender equality for its own sake if it is to be achieved.