Single mothers, inactive women of working age and older women over the age of 75 were particularly at risk of poverty. The greater exposure of women to the risk of poverty and exclusion is partly the result of a 42% reduction in overall earnings, through the combination of three gender gaps. Greater equal opportunities for women are creating better access to the job market, support for independent living and therefore better social protection, especially in retirement. Childcare is a key factor in enabling female employment and encouraging participation in the labor market. There is a strong correlation between the employment rates of women with young children and the percentage of those who have access to formal childcare, especially in the child's first three years of life. Social investment approaches also focus on benefits and services that help people achieve positive, lifelong social outcomes and reduce dependency on benefits. In 2012, on average 12% of the EU-27 population was burdened by housing costs, but for those at risk of poverty the figure was 39%. For the non-poor