whether or not women are able to be economically independent not only has intrinsic importance but can also have indirect effects on women s position in the household by strengthening their options beyond marriage and childbearing gray sen the position of women in terms of socioeconomic resources affects not only their own wellbeing but also that of their offspring generally speaking the household with special reference to the married couple at the head of the household is where many important decisions relating to women s position are made klasen p for this reason the third field considered is the marital position of women