Perempuan kepala keluarga seringkali masih dianggap sebelah mata oleh masyarakat, padahal beban perempuan Kepala Rumah Tangga (KRT) jauh lebih berat, mereka harus menghadapi tekanan sosial dan ekonomi. Perempuan KRT di Kampung Cahaya, Menteng Atas, Jakarta Selatan mengakui bahwa mereka mendapatkan beban lebih saat menjadi single-parent. Dengan mayoritas pekerjaan sebagai pemulung, perempuan KRT di Kampung Cahaya membutuhkan kepedulian dari negara dalam bentuk perlindungan sosial dari pemerintah. Namun, dalam pelaksanaannya, terdapat berbagai hambatan seperti administratif, keterbatasan akses informasi, hingga birokrasi yang kurang responsif sehingga menghalangi akses perempuan KRT akan bantuan sosial. Penelitian menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan teknik wawancara mendalam kepada tiga perempuan KRT di Kampung Cahaya, diperkaya dengan triangulasi kepada pihak penyalur bantuan (RT) serta pihak LSM (Yayasan PEKKA dan YOI Skul). Penelitian ini menyoroti bagaimana perempuan KRT di Indonesia masih kurang diperhatikan oleh negara, dalam konteks melalui desain kebijakan perlindungan sosial yang dirasa kurang responsif gender. Penelitian menggunakan teori gendered-state untuk menjelaskan pentingnya negara melihat pengalaman perempuan KRT sebagai kelompok rentan miskin yang berhak untuk mendapatkan kepedulian secara khusus. Penelitian menggunakan cerita dan pengalaman perempuan KRT Kampung Cahaya untuk melihat sejauh mana kepedulian yang diberikan oleh negara, memenuhi kesejahteraan hidup mereka. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa belum terdapat perhatian khusus dalam bentuk kepedulian negara akan perempuan kepala keluarga terlihat dari bagaimana negara masih belum mengikutsertakan pemahaman serta pendefinisian perempuan kepala keluarga secara komprehensif dan responsif gender dalam desain kebijakan.

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Female heads of households are often underestimated by society, despite the significantly heavier burdens they bear. These women, who head their households (KRT), face both social and economic pressures. In Kampung Cahaya, Menteng Atas, South Jakarta, female heads of households acknowledge that they bear additional burdens as single parents. With the majority of their employment as scavengers, these women require care from the state in the form of social protection from the government. However, in its implementation, there are various obstacles such as administrative, limited access to information, and a less responsive bureaucracy that hinders domestic workers' access to social assistance. The research uses a qualitative method with in-depth interview techniques with three female heads of households in Kampung Cahaya, enriched by triangulation with assistance distributors/helper (RT) and NGOs (PEKKA Foundation and YOI School). The study highlights how female heads of households in Indonesia are still inadequately addressed by the state, particularly through social protection policy designs perceived as lacking gender responsiveness. Utilizing the gendered-state theory, this research underscores the importance of the state recognizing the experiences of female heads of households as a vulnerable poor group entitled to specific care. By examining the stories and experiences of female heads of households in Kampung Cahaya, this study evaluates the extent to which the care provided by the state fulfills their well-being. This research found that there has not been special care/attention in the form of state concern for female heads of households, as seen from how the state still does not include a comprehensive and gender-responsive understanding and definition of women heads of households in policy design.