This issue of Gender Matters by the International Womens Development Agency (IWDA) presents research on women’s and men’s economic contributions and their experiences of gender relations in rural and urban settlements in Solomon Islands and Fiji, and their aspirations for change. The research explores the different ways that women and men engage in economic activity and what this means for gender equality. The aim of the research was to formulate indicators that reflect local conceptualisations of gender equality and economy, which can be used to track change in communities that mostly engage in informal and non-cash economic activities.