ABSTRACT
The overall management of material resources has been traditionally the responsibility of the head of household. However, a close examination of the data suggests that women are often playing a significant role in the management of material resources within the household. In households where the head of household manages the budget, the spouse earns more, but has less assets and savings compared to female controlled households, where women work more days and have a common fund. Violence against women within marriage is frequent, but tolerated in order to gain some protection from other men. Women's health and children's nutritional status was better in female controlled households compared to male controlled households. In Sen's terminology, though working for an income enables women to secure a better fall-back position, their rights still remain weak, and the broader social, economic, and political structures continue to weigh against women. With support from the policy community, it seems likely that working women could lead to favourable changes in gender inequalities, with greater options for control of their own lives.
