In the Philippines, women face enduring challenges in balancing paid work and family obligations. Due to deeply entrenched gender norms, they undertake the bulk of unpaid care and household tasks, spending nearly twice as many hours on primary care than men.[1] Women without access to formal or informal support systems, which is the majority of women, face limited choices. Some step away from economic opportunities entirely to focus on domestic responsibilities, while others turn to irregular, low quality jobs as they search for better options. This has contributed to persistently low female labor force participation, which remained below 50% for decades before a modest rise to 53.8% in 2024.[2] It has also fuelled high underemployment, which, despite falling to its lowest level in two decades at 11.9%, still affects millions of workers across the country.[3]
The expectation that women should be the primary carers at home significantly constrains their workforce participation and ability to generate income, with far-reaching consequences. It affects their economic independence, and the voice of women in the community and society.[4] It also has a long-term impact on their financial security, including their ability to build a pension and support themselves as they age. For emerging economies like the Philippines, limiting female workforce participation is particularly concerning, as it hampers the country’s potential for economic growth and sustainable development.[5]
Expanding access to quality part-time work offers a promising way forward for women’s economic participation. For women (and all genders) with care responsibilities, part-time roles can serve as a crucial bridge, giving them a viable option to engage in the formal economy and earn income despite current constraints. It also enhances opportunities for other groups facing barriers to full-time employment, including students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.
Notably, interest in part-time work in the country is growing. A 2023 survey by Agile Data Solutions found that 60% of workers have engaged in some form of part-time work, with younger workers having the most experience. [6] A more recent report by JobStreet revealed that while most workers still prefer full-time jobs, 29% favour part-time work, signalling increasing receptiveness to alternative work arrangements.[7]
Part-time work is beneficial for employers as well. With more inclusive work arrangements, businesses benefit from access to a broader and more diverse talent pool. In the Philippines, where women have higher educational attainment than men,[8] increasing women’s workforce participation can help address talent shortages and skills gaps. With the right policies in place, part-time work can be a powerful tool for building a more inclusive and dynamic workforce.
Strengthening Policy for Inclusive, Quality Part-Time Work
In recent years, the Philippine government has recognised the importance of effective part-time work policy in expanding workforce participation. The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 highlights this as one of the priorities alongside a suite of policies to encourage women’s formal employment. Specifically, the PDP calls for exploring policy frameworks that eliminate discrimination between full-time and part-time workers while ensuring seamless transitions between these work arrangements.
Building on this policy direction, Investing in Women (IW) partnered with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Philippines’ socio-economic and development policy and planning body, to commission a study examining gender-inclusive part-time work policies and legislation. The study, undertaken by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University (ANU-GIWL), compared regulatory frameworks in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, alongside Australia and the Netherlands, countries known for best practices on part-time work. The findings support NEDA’s updates to the PDP and the drafting of the Trabaho Para Sa Bayan (TPB)/ Jobs for All Plan, a long-term strategy for quality job creation that is set to be launched in April 2025.
Country Contexts and Approaches to Part-Time Work Policy
The study reveals how take up of part-time work is relatively low among women in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Moreover, most part-time jobs are concentrated in the informal sector, where workers face weaker protections and poorer working conditions. In the Philippines, only 20% of female part-time workers and 41% of male part-time workers are formally employed in the private sector. This contrasts sharply with Australia and the Netherlands, where part-time employment is widely embraced within the formal economy and backed by strong legal frameworks.
Even within their formal economies, the three ASEAN countries in the study lack clear legal safeguards for part-time workers. Indonesia’s labour laws do not formally acknowledge part-time work, while Vietnam provides a definition but lacks detailed regulations. The Philippines provides some guidance through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Explanatory Note on Part-Time Work, but more comprehensive and clearer provisions are needed to strengthen worker protection and rights. In contrast, Australia and the Netherlands have strong, targeted legislative frameworks that promote quality part-time work through well-defined regulations and enforcement mechanisms.
These findings highlight an opportunity to improve the quality of part-time work in the formal sector. By strengthening policy frameworks, governments can create an enabling environment where part-time roles provide workers with fair wages, job security, career progression, and access to social protection.
Key Considerations for Promoting Quality Part-Time Work
The research report underscores several considerations in promoting quality part-time work, not only in the Philippines but also in other countries seeking to expand employment opportunities. First, effective policies must go beyond merely allowing part-time work. Clear and comprehensive regulations are needed that prevent discrimination based on working hours, grant employees the right to request part-time and flexible work arrangements, establish clear pathways for transitioning between part-time and full-time roles, and tailor social protection measures to part-time workers. Without these safeguards, part-time employment may reinforce labour market inequalities rather than serve as a viable and empowering option for workers.
Second, part-time work policies should be accessible to all genders. While improving part-time employment options can help more women remain in the workforce, it must be complemented by broader workplace policies that support all workers – both men and women – in balancing job and care responsibilities. Gender-neutral carer’s leave, parental leave, and more innovative flexible work arrangements are essential in fostering inclusive workplaces and challenging entrenched gender norms.
Beyond these measures, the study also identifies a strategic window for governments to advance reforms within the context of broader policy shifts. Aligning part-time work policy with national labour and employment strategies can help drive meaningful change. To successfully implement these reforms, part-time work must be positioned as mutually beneficial for both employers and employees. Achieving this will require extensive stakeholder consultations, strong policy enforcement, and well-defined monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that policies translate into real improvements in workplace practices.
Moving Towards Workplace Inclusivity and Quality Jobs
While the study on part-time work has been completed and the TPB Plan still underway, IW’s partnership with NEDA continues. This year, IW is supporting NEDA in a new study examining how broader flexible working arrangements, including part-time work, are experienced by both employers and employees, considering gender and other demographic factors. The insights from this study will help shape policies to promote inclusive work arrangements that are fair and responsive to the needs of both workers and businesses.
Through research, learning, and collaboration with NEDA and other key stakeholders, IW remains committed to promoting workplace equity, enhancing economic opportunities for women, and creating quality jobs for all.
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Access the full report and accompanying factsheets here: https://investinginwomen.asia/knowledge/comparative-study-on-gender-inclusive-part-time-work-policies/
- [1] Oxfam Pilipinas, UN Women, and the Philippine Commission on Women. 2021. The 2021 National Household Care Survey
- [2] Philippine Statistics Authority. 2024. Women and Men Factsheet 2024
- [3] Philippine News Agency. 7 February 2024. Unemployment, Underemployment Rate Lowest Since 2005
- [4] UN Women. 2024. Caring Societies, Inclusive, and Green Economies in Asia-Pacific
- [5] Ibid.
- [6] Agile Data Solutions. 9 May 2023. Full Research: Rockin’ Raket—The Rise of the Raket Economy in the Philippines
- [7] JobStreet by Seek and The Boston Consulting Group. 2024. Decoding Global Talent 2024: Migration and Mobility Trends
- [8] In the Philippines, more women than men enrol in and complete higher education, with a participation rate of 37% for women and 31% for men. See EdCom Year II Report.