In recent years feminist economists have emphasized differences in women’s experiences. By rejecting falsely homogenizing accounts of women’s lives, feminist economist have unlocked the multiple ways in which gendered relations of dominance and subordination are maintained. The households included in this study are drawn from Muslim, Sinhala and Tamil groups in Eastern Sri Lanka namely the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee who share a common patriarchal structure and face similar economic problems. Even with such similar issues, ethnic differences divide them. This combination of gender, ethnicity and regional variables provides the basis for a study of gender and identity within patriarchal structures. The need for a feminist economic methodology capable of analyzing the diversity of social relations and structures has been emphasized. The main purpose of the study is to aid in the designing of policies which can be successfully targeted at female-heads within different social groups.