Most Filipino women think a woman’s place is in the home, survey finds

The Philippines ranks among Asia’s most gender-equal societies by several international measures. Yet ask Filipino women where they truly belong and most will still tell you: at home.A new survey has found that 83 per cent of Filipino women agree “being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay”, up from 70 per cent when the same question was posed in 1994.The findings, released by independent pollster Social Weather Stations earlier in March to coincide with National Women’s Month, paint a portrait of a society largely at peace with traditional gender roles.This is despite the Philippines topping a World Economic Forum gender equality ranking among Asian nations in 2018 and placing second in a US News & World Report survey in 2024.A protest to commemorate International Women’s Day is held in Manila, the Philippines, on March 8. Photo: ReutersSome 77 per cent of men and 73 per cent of women told Social Weather Stations they “extremely” agreed that a man’s job was to earn money while a woman’s was to look after the home and family. Three-quarters of women surveyed said a job was fine, but what women really wanted was a home and children – a figure unchanged since 1994.