In recent years, women in the Philippines have made strides in integrating into formal employment, attaining higher educational status, and claiming
their social and economic autonomy. However, the gender wage gap persists in the labor market, especially in the manufacturing sector. This wage gap does not look at their willingness to join the
manufacturing sector. The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA, 2019) found that, between the two sexes, the manufacturing and services sectors were highly concentrated with females. For services specifically, they report that the high participation may be linked to “inflexible hours,” or work hours that do not go beyond normal. Bøler,
Javorcik, and Ulltveit-Moe (2018) added to this, saying that especially for export-oriented firms, women need to be more flexible with their hours, particularly for those that trade to countries in different time zones. We see the effect of this, as married women are more likely to enter the informal versus the private sector because of the former’s flexibility with hours that
accommodate childcare and housework (NEDA, 2019).