poverty rates among children and femaleheaded households are also the lowest of the aie group folbre unrisd higher wages for women in the public sector for instance would be consonant with more domestic aggregate demand and increased investments in human capacities either through private spending or public provision financed by higher taxes the high road supply side reinforces this result as higher wages and market participation among women raise human capacities production the latter threat is one that mirrors anxieties that these economies can no longer afford their generous social welfare programmes particularly as societies age or become more globally integrated in ways that make labour costs more significant in determining absolute and comparative advantages recent efforts to raise investments in children among a number of european countries are one possible response more will be said about this below when we discuss social investment