number of females heading households continues to grow.

This is the sentiment shared by Women's Advisory Council president Mrs. Kim Young and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness after both studied the recently-released 1991 Census report which showed females headed 2,446 or 10 percent of the 22,430 local households surveyed.

And while the report indicated 2,085 of the female single parents held jobs, both Mrs. Young and Mr. Edness agreed that flaws in the Island's child maintenance payment system and a general inequality between male and female income are just two of the problems facing female-headed families.

"The fact that households headed by single women are increasing is a worrisome trend that needs to be analysed,'' Mr. Edness said.

"I think we know from general observations that one of the factors contributing to this is the number of divorces which have increased. It is also worrisome because it is still a fact that, generally speaking, women's income does not equate that of men. That puts a strain on how the children are brought up.

"What would be ideal would be to have dual-parented households.'' Mr. Edness could not give a figure for the amount of money Social Services pays out to female-headed households annually, but the census reported there were some 1,500 children under 15-years-old living in the female-headed households surveyed.

And most of the women earned under $36,000 a year.

The census also showed that 39 percent of the women heading their homes were divorced and held clerical jobs. And nearly half, or 47 percent of them, rented unfurnished homes.

About 41 percent or 998 of the women surveyed were 45 years or over. The next largest age group was 35 to 39-years-old.

The census also disclosed that while 72 female single parents were in the process of looking for work, 129 were homemakers. And 22 percent of the women surveyed owned a home with a mortgage while 16 percent rented furnished homes.

Mr. Edness pointed out that Government was coming forward with recommendations to "try and help ensure that the father of children do more.'' He said better enforcement of the maintenance payment legislation and more assistance to the parent, usually the mother, taking care of the child or children would be given.

"We have a package of things coming forward,'' he said. "One of the most important will be the setting up of an advocacy office to assist the caring parent. For example, if they have to go to court, we would hope to have the office more on top of dealing with a delinquent payment immediately.'' Mrs. Young said in addition to child support payments, "good-quality day care, equal pay for equal work, and maternity benefits'' would also need attention in Bermuda.

And, she added, the council -- which acts as an advisory group to the Premier on issues affecting women in Bermuda -- was actively pursuing such matters.

"We will continue to work on things to be put in place to improve the quality of life for women in Bermuda,'' Mrs. Young stressed.

"Single parent homes need more support so that they can function like a dual-parent home or better.

"This is what the Women's Advisory Council has been working on since our inception.''