ABSTRACT
The institutional approach to the analysis of gender, life course and livelihoods adopted in this book has helped to draw attention to the rules, norms, customs and practices that shape the structure of economic opportunities faced by women, men and children from low-income households in their efforts to survive the present and make provision for the future. Women's market contributions have increased in importance within household livelihood strategies, often representing the mainstay of the household economy and a safety net of first resort in times of crisis. The rationale for a gender-analytical approach to social protection for women workers in the informal economy therefore reflects the implications of these intersecting constraints for their experience of poverty and vulnerability. In India, the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) in Maharashtra sent drummers out to different villages to proclaim the opening of new work sites. Public works programmes can tackle cultural restrictions on women's mobility through choice of location.
