even though women are in the labour market in ever greater numbers marriage and childbearing often dampen their access to paid work however in many contexts a single often low income is insufficient to pull the entire household out of poverty moreover in a world that is increasingly monetized and marked by changing social risks and family forms strengthening womens command of economic resources is hugely important to answer this question this chapter begins by explaining why it is important for a woman to have resources of her own be it from labour market earnings assets or entitlements to social protection regardless of the family structure in which she lives see figure