Women form almost 50 per cent of the total population of 23.3 million as reported by Population and Housing Census of Malaysia, 2000. For the 21st century urban challenges become more complex. Female headed household has been of primary interest to decision makers of different disciplines. According to the 1999 Household Income Survey, there were 711,000 female headed households in Malaysia. The purpose of this paper is to examine the urban challenges that are faced by the female headed households. The research provide concrete evidence with regard to the female headed households’ role coping with the urban demands.. The recommendation of this research would be in the form of social policies and strategies in dealing with the challenges faced by female headed households in urban areas.