EARNING MORE AND OWNING HOMES: URBAN LOW-INCOME MOTHERS’ PURSUIT OF STABILITY

Women’s growing participation in Malaysia’s workforce has not erased the enduring expectation that caregiving remains a woman’s duty. For low-income mothers, this tension between economic survival and moral responsibility is intensified by structural constraints and limited household support. This study explores how low-income urban mothers who are breadwinners construct meanings of stability amid constrained living conditions. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, data were collected through seven-day diaries and in-depth interviews with eight full-time working mothers in the Klang Valley. The analysis identified two Group Experiential Themes (GET): GET1: Attempts at Earning More Were Short-Lived where mother’s efforts to increase income were constrained by unequal caregiving responsibilities and limited decision-making autonomy. GET 2: Homeowning as a Practical and Symbolic Pursuit of Fulfilment highlights how housing embodied both material security and moral fulfilment. The study highlights the need for policies that recognise women’s economic participation as inseparable from their caregiving and emotional wellbeing. Strengthening access to affordable housing, quality childcare, and flexible work options are essential to enable low-income mothers not only to sustain their livelihoods but to live with dignity and stability.