Pagdipara: Caring work by poor elderly women in coastal communities in Iloilo, Philippines

Caring is greatly influenced by patriarchy, capitalism and family ethics that dichotomize the work of men and women. In the Philippines, the work of caring is undertaken largely by women and remains undervalued. In this paper, we examine care work using a feminist lens. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with three poor, elderly, Filipina women from coastal communities. Their narratives illustrate the many challenges and dilemmas they navigate, given their gendered social relations and multiple marginalization. These include their need to subscribe to the cultural norm of being good and loving wives, in order to fulfill expectations of mothering. They also work as Barangay (village) Health Workers (BHWs) despite being old, perform the role of dutiful daughters and cope with their husbands' struggles. At the same time they have to deal with stereotypes and expectations as family providers and therefore place themselves last. This study emphasizes that poverty among poor, elderly women adds to their caring work, which in turn reinforces their marginalization. There is a need, therefore, to re-examine the family as a social construct where power relations may be better negotiated and the costs and benefits of caring can be equitably shared by both women and men.