There also have been radical shifts in values, particularly those which emphasize the importance of the individual and which demand full gender equality. These transformations have significant implications for social security and social protection which must now adjust to contemporary conditions. And women workers in the informal sector are even more vulnerable to multiple risks, because of their dual roles both in the workplace and in the home, as well as their higher levels of social exclusion. Social protection mechanisms are critical in ensuring that people have the ability to work and to work productively, that assets accumulated through the earnings of their labour are protected from various risks faced by the working population, and that those people not working have the means to retain or build their assets. The large contribution of women to the economy remains mostly unrecognized by the state and the community, and is largely invisible in national and regional statistics.
Women therefore remain highly susceptible to a continuing cycle of poverty.
They have also traditionally been excluded from direct participation in the design of social security schemes, and are often the most affected because of their multiple burdens of economic, biological and social roles. Research also shows that market forces alone cannot be expected to provide insurance for the poor even if the demand for it exists. However, the state often cannot carry the full burden of effectively covering the entire population,and innovations need to be introduced into management and funding. It is relatively rare to find social insurance mechanisms which address the multiple roles of the working woman in a comprehensive way. Most do not treat her as an individual requiring specific types of insurance and flexibility in the design of insurance schemes, but consider her as part of a family unit with the man as breadwinner.