The complexity of women’s employment conditions, which is highly intertwined with women’s role as caregivers, begs for an integrated approach to social protection. There is a number of interrelated factors that need to be taken into consideration: Women are more likely to stay out of the labour force; Women are more likely to be unemployed – particularly young women; When women work, they are more likely to be at lower-end jobs, experiencing the twinchallenges of decent work deficit and time poverty; Women’s work in the “gig” economy is highly celebrated despite its vulnerability; The COVID-19 dimension. Social protection measures need to take into account a life cycle approach, with particular focus on women’s specific reproductive roles with particularly progressive support for women unable to work due to care responsibilities.