The existence of this set of regulations is crucial to overcoming the risks that contributory and non-contributory social protection policies seek to resolve. Indeed, in a region marked by persistent structures of inequality, it is essential to focus more attention on incorporating employment discrimination measures to boost the labour force participation of women, indigenous peoples and other vulnerable groups (ECLAC, 2010a). As Bertranou and Saravia (2009) point out, own-account work is particularly complex to conceptualize and measure. Some argue that own-account workers are fulfilling a personal desire for entrepreneurship and believe that many own-account workers engage in informal employment of their own volition (IDB, 2004).