Series: The Changing Lives Of Women

Women earn more than ever but their attitude about investing hasn't kept pace. They lack confidence, experts say, and fear they, like Cate Blanchett's character in Blue Jasmine,will run out of money.

Christine Lagarde says giving women access to the job market isn't just about equal opportunity — it makes economic sense. In an interview, she also reflects on being the only woman in the room.

With rising economic power, a new generation of Indian women is giving matchmaking a modern twist. While most Indian marriages are still arranged, single women are increasingly making their own choices, meeting potential mates via marriage-focused websites and companies that organize group outings.

Some single baby boomers are moving into group houses, a college-era solution to their modern needs. Housemates share costs, socialize, and cheer each other on through life's thick and thin.

For decades, the role of breadwinner was reserved for men, but today, more than a quarter of American working women earn more than their spouses. That means more fathers are opting to stay home with the kids.

Brazil's economic boom has driven the demand for births by caesarean section. Some 80 to 90 percent of women in private hospitals deliver this way. Proponents say it allows mothers and doctors to better organize their time. Critics say the procedure drives up costs and may cause complications.

Germany is considered quite generous when it comes to helping women raise families. But some analysts say the way many of the benefits are set up hurts those with a career and a family.

At Harvey Mudd College in California, about 40 percent of the computer science majors are women. That's far more than at any other co-ed school. And it's thanks in large part to the school's president, Maria Klawe. She has worked hard to keep women interested in computer science and empower them to succeed in the field.

Only about 20 percent of all computer programmers are women, but one pioneering CEO is trying to change that. Blazing Cloud's Sarah Allen hopes that making women in the field more visible to each other will help young women see a path for themselves in this fast-growing profession.

China's one-child only policy and historic preference for boys has led to a surplus of marriageable Chinese men. Young women are holding out for better apartments, cars and the like from potential spouses. And prospective in-laws are socking away savings to try to appeal to a future daughter-in-law.