In 2019, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province had the highest national proportion of female heads of household.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that 21.99% of women in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) were heads of household in 2019. This percentage was the highest compared to other provinces in Indonesia.

Yogyakarta followed in second place with 20.37% of women as heads of household. 19.91% of women in South Sulawesi also held this status.

Furthermore, 19.84% of women in Aceh were heads of household. Meanwhile, the percentage of women heads of household in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) reached 18.29%.

The high number of female heads of household in NTB is due to the fact that the majority have low levels of education and poor literacy skills.

Their jobs are mostly as farm laborers and vegetable vendors. Their average maximum daily income is only Rp 30,000, while they support 4-6 people at home.

The high number of female heads of household in NTB also correlates with the still high rate of child marriage. Early marriage is highly vulnerable to domestic conflict and violence, which can lead to divorce.

According to the Pekka Foundation (Yayasan Program Pemberdayaan Perempuan Kepala Keluarga), a female head of household is a woman who carries out the roles and responsibilities of breadwinner, household manager, maintainer of family life, and family decision-maker.

Factors contributing to women becoming heads of household in Indonesia include divorce, husbands unable to be breadwinners due to disability or job loss, husbands leaving for extended periods without providing support, and unmarried women with family responsibilities.