nonetheless because the poverty risk for women who divorce is high rising divorce rates have contributed to increased poverty and inequality in the united kingdom jenkins reports significant income gains for men following divorce although this is to some extent offset when wider measures of deprivation are included for example access to other resources such as durable goods aassve et al there is also evidence that divorce laws matter and that when divorce is easier women may insure against future income losses by working more stevenson for example finds a link between the move to unilateral rather than consent divorce law and increased labour force participation of married women higher employment among women and more generous welfare benefits to some extent protect women and children from the negative economic consequences of divorce and separation analysis of the different impacts of divorce on women s economic wellbeing across countries finds that divorce leads to the biggest income declines in italy and the smallest in sweden