Poorest of the Poor?: a study on the women-headed households of Metropolitan Manila and their economic vulnerabilitie​s.

Abstract

There has been a rise in the incidence of women-headed households in Metro Manila. This would not have been a problem if it were not for the fact that the Philippines is a third-world country where women are vulnerable subjects that lead them more often than not into poverty. ​Despite being named as one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, the Philippines still has a long way to go in dismantling socialized gender roles. ​In that light, being a female-headed household is seen to exacerbate poverty due to the unequal status of men and women in society. ​However, we also have to acknowledge the fact that the welfare of these households are actually improving and at times even surpass male-headed households. Other indicators than gender and income might also come into play that help determine a household’s economic stability. The study primarily aims to assess welfare of female-headed household by looking into their intra-household characteristics, making a comprehensive analysis, and comparing it to the performance of their male-headed counterparts.