A new survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) found that a large majority of Filipinos believe a woman’s primary role is to manage the household and care for the family. Results released Wednesday showed that 83% of respondents agreed with the statement that a man’s role is to earn money while a woman’s role is to look after the home and family. SWS has been tracking Filipinos’ attitudes toward women’s roles in family life since 1994. Another 71% said working mothers can still build warm and secure relationships with their children, similar to mothers who do not work. However, 63% of respondents believed that preschool children may suffer if their mothers work, while 51% agreed that family life may be affected when a woman has a full-time job. The poll also showed that women themselves expressed slightly stronger agreement with several of these views compared to men, particularly on the impact of a mother’s work on young children and family life. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide from November 24 to 30, 2025, with a ±3% margin of error for national results. The survey also found that 81% of Filipinos believe being a housewife can be just as fulfilling as having a paid job, while 11% disagreed. Meanwhile, 75% agreed with the view that although women can have jobs, many ultimately want a home and children. Only 8% disagreed, while 9% said they were undecided.
