the human rights committee recently confirmed that states parties should provide safe legal and effective access to abortion under certain circumstances and has called on states to end the criminalization of providers and women who seek abortion see box as chapter shows having an income of their own puts women on a more equal footing with men in their intimate relationships strengthens their bargaining position within families and enables them to exit partnerships if they need to putting economic resources in women s hands is also associated with lower rates of poverty and greater investments in childrens health and education