More Women OFWs Highlights Joblessness, Their Increasing Role in Families’ Survival

Strong Women. Because of the hard times, more and more Filipino women are forced to take on a more important role in the economy. This Davao woman decides to take the matter a step farther. (File photo by Barry Ohaylan/davaotoday.com)

Majority of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sent abroad are now women, and this highlights their increasingly vital role in ensuring their families’ survival, according to IBON Foundation.

Government figures reveal that some seven out of 10 OFWs who are deployed as new hires are women. Many of these women are hired in perilous jobs such as domestic helpers or entertainers, with only a small percentage of them working in professional categories such as medical professions.

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