Family status

Though statistics suggest that the status of Chinese women has greatly improved, many women are still unsatisfied with their position at home. Some even believe that their sense of happiness has declined despite the rise of their social status.

"It is true that women's social position has been improved and we enjoy better conditions in many areas; but it doesn't mean we are becoming happier," said Wang Hongyi, a manager of an investment company in Beijing. According to her, women have to balance their work and family after marriage. "During the process, it is very important for her family members to support and understand her. This is important to determining if a woman is happy or not," said Wang. "If she cannot have her husband's support, she is not happy even though she has a high social position and earns high salary."

Wang noted that the main reason for this scenario is that the traditional idea of "domestic wife and social husband" remains deeply rooted in the minds of many Chinese people. "Under this philosophy, husbands prefer their wives to stay at home assuming household duties and educating children only. Many even cannot accept their wives earning more than them," she said.

"This is an arduous task we must conquer before realizing real gender equality, that is, to change people's idea that a man should be superior to a woman in a family," said Tan. She also said social pressure was an equally crucial factor in this case as even if the husband accepted his wife's superior salary or position, others would frown upon it.  

According to a survey conducted by huanqiu.com and Huanqiu Polling and Research Center last December, only 1.5 percent of Chinese men appreciate capable career women; 28 percent of them like women who are "good at supporting their husbands and educating children and are mild enough to be good wives and good mothers." Over 46 percent of men appreciate "knowledgeable, independent women who can adapt themselves to the development of the society."

"This is a deadlock in balancing the work and family. But the most important thing is to improve women's status at home, so that they could have an equal say as their husbands," said Wang.