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Survey of Chinese Women
Increasingly assertive and competitive, the
modern Chinese woman wants the media to stop portraying her as a helpless victim
who resorts to suicide when faced with difficulties, a new survey shows.
A majority of
those surveyed felt that the media were prejudiced against them, and instead
they wanted the newspapers and television networks to produce more content that
would help them at work or highlight employment opportunities.
The survey of 902 women in several Chinese
cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, was conducted by the semi-official Hwa
Kun Women's Research Centre, China's first centre for women's issues.
The month-long survey carried out in May
polled the women - mostly aged above 20 - on their attitudes towards the media
and their perceptions of how they were being portrayed in magazines, newspapers,
television programmes and advertisements.
It found that almost two-thirds preferred
reading or watching the news over lifestyle or entertainment programmes.
| Survey
highlights |
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• 80
per cent of the women respondents spend more than an hour each
day reading newspapers and magazines, or watching television
•
62.6 per cent say they pay most
attention to the news, followed by lifestyle and entertainment
programmes (11.67 per cent), and drama serials (9.81 per cent)
•
82 per cent believe the media are
biased against them, portraying them as weak in the face of
difficulties
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'The conventional perception is that women
are more interested in their own lives than society at large,' the survey said.
'This survey shows otherwise, and suggests
that Chinese women are increasingly concerned about developments in the country
which would affect their livelihood or job prospects.'
This new assertiveness and demand for a more
accurate media coverage reflect the changes in Chinese society since the 1980s,
as women have become more independent and confident, said several women who
spoke to The Straits Times.
'I work hard at home and at work; I don't
think my husband would like a subservient or hapless woman,' said Madam Liu
Cheng, 28, a former marketing executive who has taken a year off to look after
her first child. She plans to work as soon as she can.
'In today's environment, we have no choice
but to work hard in order to survive,' she said.
Reflecting this drive to excel, almost half
of the women surveyed said they saw the media as a way to improve their quality
of life.
They also hit out at the negative portrayals
of women in the country's mass media, and took particular offence at reports
glorifying women who leapt off buildings in a bid to escape from sexual
assaults.
Many women died or were badly injured as a
result, but the media often ran reports that seemed to approve, and even praise,
such behaviour.
The survey called for an end to such
reporting as it created the impression that women facing
such predicaments had no way out but to jump to their deaths.
Hwa Kun Research Centre director Deng Xiaolan
said: 'This report doesn't represent everyone's views, but it does provide the
government agencies with important insights into some of the burning issues for
women today.' - 2002 December
30 Singapore
Straits Times AFP
What women really want - flexibility
Companies
may have a better shot at retaining female talent with some give-and-take
 
As managing director and
region head of Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei for Citi Private Bank, Tan
Su-Shan has a packed schedule that frequently involves attending corporate
events and travelling.
A mother of two, she has learnt to work
around it by stopping at home en route to evening functions and taking the last
possible flight out - all in the interest of spending more time with her
children.
While organisations such as Citi do offer a
flexible working plan which allows women across different levels to either work
remotely or with flexible hours, it may not always be a solution that everyone
can subscribe to.
'In my line of work, it's hard to manage
people from home,' points out Ms Tan.
But for other women, struggling to balance
the demands of their work with the call of their family, such arrangements can
make the journey somewhat easier. They can also remove some of the impediments
that women face while climbing the corporate ladder.
Showing
the way: Tan Su-Shan
Almost all top female executives that BT
spoke to on the eve of the International Women's Day today agreed a little
flexibility could go a long way towards retaining - and nurturing - female
talent.
Rachel Eng, head of capital markets &
corporate department at WongPartnership LLP, explains. 'In our firm, we keep an
open line of communication with our women lawyers to help them structure their
work scope, work type or working conditions,' she says. The rationale for this
is that it allows women lawyers to achieve their work ambitions without
abandoning their family responsibilities.
Senior management need to understand that
women have the added responsibility of having children and should avoid over-penalising
working mothers, Ms Eng adds.
Pauline Goh, managing director of CB Richard
Ellis (CBRE), also reckons that more needs to be done to establish a better
work-life balance, taking into account Singapore's resource-tight labour force.
'There are certain broad guidelines which companies can establish and work out
together with their employees, for example, flexible work hours. Employees also
need to realise that they need to be adept to changing circumstances and
contribute more during certain periods in their career,' Ms Goh says.
Policies to support a variety of working
hours can benefit both women and men, points out chief financial officer for DBS
Group Jeanette Wong, who also acknowledges that the challenge sometimes lies in
successfully implementing flexible working hours. With regards to work-life
balance, it essentially boils down to choice.
'It depends on your priorities at each stage
of your life. It is a choice of attending this meeting or being somewhere else.
The more you feel that the choices are yours to make, the more in control you
will be,' says Ms Wong.
Data from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
shows that as at June 2007, the 66,200 women employed as managers and senior
officials are roughly twice the 32,400 women who held similar positions of power
in 1997. In contrast, there were 123,900 male managers and senior officials as
at June 2007. Women make up about 43 per cent of the 1.92 million resident
labour force.
While the proposed changes need to come from
the top, women should also strive to be more pro-active.
'A woman should be confident of her
capabilities and not sell herself short,' says Junie Foo, director of global
corporates at Standard Chartered Bank and chairman of Singapore Council of
Women's Organisations (SCWO). Commenting on wage inequality, she says that women
tend to be shy or hesitant when it comes to negotiating salaries.
The MOM numbers also indicate that while
20,900 women were earning $10,000 a month and above in 2007 - a 30 per cent
increase from 16,000 women in 2006 - they still lags significantly behind the
65,500 men who came under the same earning bracket in 2007.
Women's associations can also make a
difference and give voice to women's needs, says Citi's Ms Tan.
'While associations are consulted in informal
ways, having a more formal role might help. The importance of such associations
should be recognised and they should be encouraged,' adds Ms Tan, highlighting
efforts by the Association of Women Doctors (Singapore) which spearheaded
efforts to eradicate a gender quota that limited the intake for female medical
students to one-third at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The quota
was lifted with effect from 2003.
Ms Tan founded the Financial Women's
Association (FWA) of Singapore in 2001, an organisation that serves both as a
networking and self-improvement platform.
Among other things, it is a 'support system'
as well as a 'relink' to the industry, she says, for women who have taken time
off from working to have children.
As women see their role in the economy and
society grow, the SCWO has organised a power lunch to mark International Women's
Day today.
Minister of State for Finance and Transport
Lim Hwee Hua and DBS's Ms Wong will be among those speaking at the lunch.
- 2008 March 8 BUSINESS
TIMES
Women
flex economic muscle
Japanese women, long viewed as docile, decorative and
entertaining "flowers" in the office, are bucking the trend to become
"tigers" and "economic locomotives" that make key economic
contributions these days.
"More women are walking a new road, changing from office flowers, a term
that describes their traditional role as adornments to please men, to becoming
indispensable to the work place," explains Mitsuko Yamaguchi, spokeswoman
for Ishikawa Fusae Memorial Association, one of Japan's oldest feminist
organizations.
This trend, according to analysts, has made Japan's rising number of single
women a key source of economic growth in their country. Statistics indicate that
unmarried women in their twenties and thirties now make up 40% of that group
living in the big cities such as Tokyo.
The importance of the single-women sector in Japan's drive for long-term growth
was documented in a report on Japan's 2005 economic outlook by Mizuho
Securities, a leading financial organization.
Respected economist Nobuyuki Saji, who says the Japanese economy has pulled out
of its 10-year long recession and has begun a sustainable recovery, cites the
increasing purchasing power of single women as one positive sign to support his
forecast.
While the report points to the reduction of bank debt and the manufacture of
high-technology machinery as factors that would help boost national product
performance and economic recovery, Saji devotes a special section to the higher
consumer spending by female workers as another vital point.
"Working women in their twenties and thirties have seen their income
increase this past two years as corporate restructuring shifts towards a
meritocratic pay system that sees income distribution in favor of young
people," he explains.
Real consumption spending among people below 50 years of age increased to 52.6%
from around 35% of all consumption between October 2003 to the October 2004.
Saji says his research on consumption shows a rapid increase in the purchase of
apartments as well as automobiles and stocks by single women, making them a key
target for Japanese companies.
Indeed, data compiled by large real estate companies show that purchases by
unmarried women in their twenties and thirties rose to almost three-fourths of
new sales in 2004, a dramatic trend compared to a decade ago when married men
were the largest group.
Women owners reported average annual incomes of between US$60,000-80,000 and
bought homes that were priced around $300,000.
Women also account for 67% of sales of mini vehicles priced at around $2,000, a
record since 1999. Data on stock investing also show that women in their
twenties and thirties buying shares have increased to 33.9%, higher than the 24%
recorded for those in their forties and fifties.
The rise of the female spender is also seen as key to the growth in Japan's
service industry - an annual growth rate of 3% or higher - in companies that
offer health- and beauty-related services, as well as restaurants, travel and
recreational outlets.
Hidehiko Yanagisawa, an analyst at Hakuhodo Research company, says more younger
women are becoming decision makers, even after they start families, "a huge
contrast to the older generation in which women played second-fiddle to
men".
"This social change is here to stay and is closely observed by companies as
an important business opportunity from now on," he explains.
A new book, Non-Parasite Single Women by Kiyo Yamamoto, documents the
lives of single women who live on their own because they do not want to lose
their independence by getting married and settling down to start families.
"Single and ambitious women in Japan have well-paid jobs, boyfriends and
enjoy themselves. Their goal is to live for themselves," Yamamoto writes.
Single and energetic Akemi Ozaki, 37, cannot agree more. Ozaki launched her own
beauty and hair-styling shop two years ago and says she does not even dream of
marriage.
"I am too busy with work and enjoying life to adjust to another human being
in my life," explains the slight woman, whose work schedule ends after
midnight most weekdays. She caters to a growing number of working women who want
to relax with a shampoo or facial after they leave the office in the evenings.
Women are reporting inroads in the more conservative job market as well.
Trenders Inc, a company offering placement services for women, says their single
clients are now being snapped up as managers by companies that have begun to
report a doubling of their sales in the past two years.
"Women managers have an edge over men when it comes to handling consumer
goods and other services for companies in that field," says Kahoko
Tsunezawa, who runs the company. - 2005 January 5 By Suvendrini Kakuchi
INTER PRESS
SERVICE
ASIA TIMES
Women in charge of family finances
Canadian women, especially mothers, are in command of home finances and
decide -- or help to decide -- about spending on everything from clothes to
dinner out to a new car, according to a survey by MasterCard Canada released
Tuesday.
Ninety-two per cent of all adult women and 96 per cent of mothers are either
solely or jointly in control when it comes to family purchases, according to the
report, the MasterCard MasterIndex of Canadian Women Consumers.
Fifty-five per cent of the 2,088 women surveyed across the country said they
alone make the day-to-day financial decisions in the household and another 37
per cent said they did it jointly with their partners.
This figure is even higher for women with children, with 63 per cent of them
saying they do the buying all on their own, according to the survey carried out
by Environics Research Group in September.
"What this means is that they're playing the role of chief purchasing
officer of the family and whether its the cornflakes on the shelf or the car in
the driveway, marketers have to think about the needs and interests of women
first" said David MacDonald, Environics' group vice-president of
consumer research.
MacDonald said that the survey shows that spending decisions in Canadian
families are no longer gender-specific although men might have a large influence
in electronics and automotive buying.
"But men can't make that finally purchase decision without getting
that purchase order from the chief purchasing officer of the family,"
said MacDonald, who added that the survey will likely be carried out every year
from now on.
"If I had to bet a nickel, I would say for sure that women will continue
to play the leadership role in financial decision making and that smart, savvy
marketers will make sure that they respond accordingly and identify which
segments of women are most important to them and how they can tailor their
message and find out more about their needs and preferences."
The survey also discovered new patterns of spending among women and divided
them up in groups -- Emerging Consumers, New Earners, Moms, The Established and
Silver Spenders -- to go with changes in Canadian lifestyle patterns.
What we were really trying to do was to identify the key life stage turning
points that women undergo and the paths that are open to them" said
MacDonald.
One of the surprises was the emergence of the group, making up 22 per cent of
all women, called the Established, ranging in age from 35 to 54, and whose
children have either grown or who never had children.
It's a segment in society that gets overlooked by marketers, because it's one
that doesn't fit into the traditional mould," said MacDonald.
"They're not retired, they're in pre-retirement and working either
full or part time. And they're at a life stage where they've got the means to do
what they want and they can choose to buy or not to buy on their own terms and
they're quite discriminating consumers."
MacDonald added that they were women who were focused on buying brands that
reflect their values.
Another group, different from what traditional marketers might have targeted,
is the New Earners, with an average age of 27, who don't yet have children but
have good incomes and describe themselves as spenders, MacDonald said.
"They've got income, they don't have dependents and they can afford
to go out and shop and they really revel in it and they like the newfound
freedom and power that managing their own finances can bring them. And in terms
of design trends and fashions and styles and brands their voice is
disproportionate to their numbers."
Then, suddenly, when they have children these New Earners turn themselves
almost 180 degrees and join the Mom category and spend more time worrying about
what their family gets than what they can buy for themselves, MacDonald said.
The survey is one of many similar ones carried out by MasterCard around the
world but is the first done in Canada.
Findings of the survey are said to be accurate within plus or minus 2.1 per
cent 19 times out of 20.
PURSE POWER: 5 STAGES OF FEMALE CONSUMERISM:
How the MasterIndex study portrays and segments Canadian women as shoppers
EMERGING CONSUMERS
Aged 18 to 34 and childless, 63 per cent of them are post-secondary students
and 60 per cent work part-time. Seventy-eight per cent make less than $25,000
annually. Fewer than one in three are married/common law. Six in 10 say they
consider themselves spenders rather than savers. They value good price over
brand.
NEW EARNERS
Aged 18 to 34 and childless, with 36 per cent of them having household
incomes of more than $75,000 a year. Big spenders with a disproportionate
influence on style and fashion trends. Seven in 10 are spenders. Most are
responsible for day-to-day household spending decisions. They are willing to pay
more for brand names than any other group, but two-thirds still value good price
before a brand.
MOMS
Average age of 36, they have children under the age of 18 and make up 30 per
cent of the women in Canada. Three in four are married/common law with 12 per
cent separated/
divorced and 10 per cent single. Most have a household income of more than
$50,000 annually. Almost all of them are responsible for household spending.
Most are willing to spend more on their family for brand-name products but not
for themselves.
THE ESTABLISHED
Aged 35 to 54, average age 47, they comprise 22 per cent of the women in
Canada. About half have a household income of $55,000 or higher. Because they're
supporting children in university or saving for retirement, half are not
satisfied with their current financial situation. Two thirds say that they and
their partners are spenders rather than savers. They look for good prices when
they shop, primarily in retail chain stores.
SILVER SPENDERS
Aged 55 and older, primarily with no children living at home, they make up 31
per cent of women in Canada and the segment will only grow over time. Two-thirds
are married/common law, 23 per cent are divorced and 10 per cent are widowed.
Most have incomes similar to the established but one in 10 have an income of
more than $75,000 a year. More than any other group, they indulge in spending on
magazines and books as well as vacations and get-away trips. Two thirds find a
good price is more important than a brand name.
Source: MasterCard Worldwide's MasterIndex of Canadian Women Consumers,
Vancouver Sun
HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES:
Facts about female consumers in Canada according to a MasterCard survey:
- 58 per cent describe themselves as spenders, peaking among New Earners at
69 per cent. Just 42 per cent say they are savers. Most (56 per cent) married or
cohabiting women describe their partners as spenders.
- Slightly more are satisfied than dissatisfied with their financial
situation, but only nine per cent are very satisfied. Happiest are Silver
Spenders, of whom 63 per cent report themselves either somewhat or very
satisfied.
- 72 per cent say that a good price is more important than paying for a brand
and this is highest among Moms at 80 per cent.
- Increased income drives spending among Emerging Consumers and New Earners.
Increased costs drive it for Moms.
- Areas of highest increased spending are transportation, including gas costs
along with food. Spending has decreased for entertainment, vacations and
clothing.
Source: MasterIndex of Canadian Women Consumers
Women
not buying 'beer, babe and bimbo' ads
They have power and money, and to get them to spend,
ads need to respect their status and concerns, says Leo Burnett regional chief
SINGAPORE -What
does it take to win every woman's heart in 30 seconds?
In five words: respect, sexuality, emotion, humour and
authenticity.
Touch women on these five soft spots and the world's
most influential consumer group will respond to you.
At least that is the message advertising agency Leo
Burnett Worldwide has been selling to advertisers worldwide in a bid to
transform commercials targeted at women.
The fresh approach aims to revolutionise the way
advertisers speak to women.
For too long, the company argues, the focus in
advertising has been on men, not women, who feel alienated by many ads.
Singapore advertising agencies and their clients heard
the message at a seminar entitled Miss Understood - She's Not Buying Your Ads
last week, presented by Leo Burnett Asia-Pacific's president, Ms Michelle
Kristula-Green.
She was addressing the question: Why advertising does
not quite seem to engage women consumers with the same level of breakthrough
work as is more frequently directed at men?
One reason, she suggested, was that the ad industry is
dominated by men.
Another was the lack of real insight that advertisers
have into women's changing perceptions in five areas: money, sexuality, humour,
emotion and authenticity.
Leo Burnett turned to published data, its own staff
and focus groups of consumers to form its conclusions. The focus groups of
women, ranging in age from the teens to 40s, came from seven countries,
including the United States, China and Mexico.
'Our findings showed that a significant proportion of
the women surveyed were critical of many of the ads, which tended to be cliche-
ridden, uninspiring and even offensive,' said Ms Kristula-Green.
She supported this with statistics from a recent
British survey conducted by TBWA Worldwide, part of the Omnicom Group, which
showed that 65 per cent of women aged between 35 and 40 considered much of the
advertising directed at them to be patronising.
And half of them felt that the ads were old-
fashioned.
'The beer, babe and bimbo ads are out of touch with
what women want and are demeaning because they objectify women,' she said,
highlighting a comment made by a focus group participant that ads typically
create images of sex goddesses that women know they cannot live up to.
Ms Kristula-Green noted that women are a critical
consumer group, especially now that their increased financial capacity has made
them more discerning.
And they vote with their purses. -
2004 October 12 SINGAPORE
STRAITS TIMES
Five ways to get her
interested
Follow the money
Advertisers must acknowledge women's new financial
strength.
This has created a new class of female consumers who
are better educated, more discerning and vote with their purses.
One industry figure estimates that women control two
out of every three dollars spent by households.
Sex sells, but try a new position
Leo Burnett's Ms Kristula-Green noted the 'refreshing
sense of openness and freedom women now have about their sexuality', as
epitomised by the hit American TV series, Sex And The City.
Like men, women are attracted by sex appeal in ads,
but advertisers must present images of the female figure in ways that are not
only tasteful but also realistic and that celebrate women as individuals, not
just body parts.
Use emotion with caution
Modern women see themselves as strong, determined and
powerful and also very emotional. 'Just because you're powerful doesn't mean
you're not emotional,' said one female focus-group participant.
Another pitfall is portraying emotion without actually
evoking emotion.
Add a dose of humour
Women love to laugh, and laugh at themselves.
'Surprise and delight them with humour that is
intelligent and not mean-spirited. Women would welcome more humour in
commercials directed at them.'
Make it real
'Present women with authentic characters and
situations that they can relate to in real ways,' said Ms Kristula-Green,
emphasising that the most effective ads addressed women's needs and concerns
using their language - SINGAPORE
STRAITS TIMES 12 Oct 2004
Asian Women Have Less
Leverage in Economy
Women in Asia represent a huge base of potential
economic talent, but they are given less leverage by the government than those
in other continents, according to a report from McKinsey & Company.
The report, released on Friday by Dominic Barton,
chairman of the consultant's Asia Pacific bureau at the Global Summit of Women
2004, said Asian women are increasingly becoming highly-educated and are gaining
more access to information and communication technology, but a large part of
them are working in the informal sector.
``Women are having a more active voice on various
social issues,'' Barton said. ``But this large base of high-quality human
resources is not being leveraged enough in most Asian countries.''
According to the report, South Korea's female labor
force participation rate is 60 percent, lower than Japan with 66 percent and
Indonesia with 61 percent. Women's participation in the labor force in Asia is
generally lower than that of G-7 countries, which shows an average of 67
percent.
Urging each Asian country to provide sufficient legal
recognition and security protection to support female labor force, the report
said female talent will be critical for the future labor force to sustain
economic growth for both developing and developed countries.
Although more and more females are entering the
working population, Asian women with a college education or higher are still
given significantly less leverage compared to those in G-7 countries.
Female stereotypes of caring, docile caregivers and
home-based workers are still being reinforced in Asian countries, and this may
be perpetuated into the next generation if restricted and inferior labor market
opportunities for women continue, the report said - KOREAN
TIMES By Na Jeong-ju
What do investing women want?
If you read the investment books aimed at femmes and
follow the brokers' girlie ads, it would seem that we want to be treated as a
breed apart.
You know . . . airheads. Dollies who need a warm hand
on their arm before they can trust their own judgment. Self-effacers who lap up
condescending lists with headings like "Ten Money Mistakes Women
Make." Odd, you never see lists of the money mistakes men make.
Friends, I'm sick of this stuff. Sick of stories like
"How to Pick Investments Based on Shopping for Eggplant" (I didn't
make that up). Sick of online banks "created with women in mind" (are
their CDs pink?).
And sick of campaigns like the new one from Charles
Schwab targeting negative female stereotypes -- for example, the "jealous
woman" ad (she's jealous of another woman's investment smarts). A Schwab
survey announces, with trumpets, that half its female investors, young and old,
find investing "scary. " Naturally, the firm stands by to help.
I'm notobjecting to target marketing in general. Men
respond to it; think of all the guys gazing at their children in life-insurance
ads. People of color respond; think of all the ethnic ad campaigns.
But who besides women are told they need help because
they're emotionally impaired? "It's the nauseating 'Women are from Venus'
approach to the economy, and it's nonsense," gripes sociologist Brooke
Harrington of Brown University.
I looked around to see what is known about women as
investors (not counting the self-serving surveys by brokerage firms). In real
life, it appears that we're not so wimpy after all:
-- Economist Leslie Papke of Michigan State University looked at the 401(k)
choices of men and women 55 and up. She found no difference in investment
patterns by sex.
-- A larger study of 401(k)s by the consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide
found that once women buckle down to save, they may do better than men. Watson
looked at the accounts of 143,000 employees in 87 plans (excluding the youngest
workers and the lowest paid). At 33 and up, women are more likely to contribute
to plans than men and also contribute a higher percentage of their pay.
It also turns out that women don't shy away from reasonable risk. In plans
where mutual funds are the only option, women commit more money to equities than
their male colleagues do. A difference emerges, however, when the plan lets
employees buy company stock. Men gobble up the stock; women nibble, judiciously.
-- In the stock market, men tend to take more risks then women do. They
choose smaller stocks that are more volatile in price.
But that doesn't do them a lot of good, according to finance professors Brad
Barber and Terrance Odean of the University of California at Davis. Their study
of nearly 38,000 discount-brokerage accounts found that, adjusted for risk,
women did better than men by 0.9 percent a year. Single women -- presumably less
influenced by a kibitzing male -- did 1.4 percent better.
The women weren't smarter at stock picking. They just traded less, Odean
says, and the less you trade, the better you do.
-- A 1998 study by the consultants Deloitte & Touche found that women
earning more than $100,000 a year enjoyed investing their own money. In general,
their investment behavior and attitudes weren't any different from those of men,
says Martha Priddy Patterson of Deloitte's Human Capital Advisory Services.
-- The Employee Benefit Research Institute reports that some 70 percent of
working people say they are saving for retirement -- the same for women as for
men.
-- The final study I commissioned myself -- a groundbreaking work in this
emerging world of biofinance. My team peered at the male Y chromosome. We did
not find a money management gene.
But what about all these surveys showing women to be less confident about
their financial choices than men? First, some of these "confident"
guys are bluffing (or kidding themselves). Second, none of the surveys control
for investing's most essential ingredient: experience.
Inexperienced investors of either sex tend to be cautious, and with reason.
They don't yet know what they're doing, so they take less risk.
Women on average are less exposed to investing than men. So naturally,
surveys show that the average woman has less stock market know-how. But that's
our average experience, not our sex.
Harrington has been studying how investors behave in investment clubs. She
found that men and women with similar amounts of stock-market seasoning take
similar kinds of risks
What beats me is why anyone should find that a surprise. -Jane
Bryant Quinn San
Francisco Chronicle
These days, when a woman says size matters, it's possible
she's referring to a man's bank account.
In a valiant attempt to prove love don't cost
a thing, J.Lo dumped flashy millionaire boyfriend P. Diddy to marry one of her
dancers. After nine measly months of marriage to her financially inferior
husband, she filed for divorce and is rumoured to be dating rich Hollywood
playboy Ben Affleck.
Research shows women no longer look at men as
financial crutches, as in many previous generations. Modern femme fatales simply
want a mate whose lifestyle reflects their success and status in life, which
often translates to a guy with money.
"It brings more equality to the
relationship if a rich woman marries a rich man," says Jenna Stone, a
self-described lounge mama at Century Grill, a southside restaurant favoured by
Edmonton's upper crust.
"I see a woman with a rich guy and I
think she knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to go and get it. I
appreciate money, but honestly, it's not the clincher in the deal."
The fairer sex is becoming increasingly more
educated than their male counterparts, creating a "marriage squeeze"
for women who refuse to marry down. So says economist Andrew Sum, director of
Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies.
For every economist who claims money does
matter, there's competing research that suggests other more subtle factors are
at play. Last month, Dr. Daniel Nettle, head of a research team at Britain's
Open University, released a report suggesting the taller the man, the more
likely he is to tie the knot or have children, regardless of his financial
stature.
"We have come to think women pay more
attention to status and resources," Nettle says. "In the case of
height, this is clearly not true; in choosing a husband, size matters."
A controversial study from the St. Andrews
University in Scotland suggests women crave a strong, masculine face during
their most fertile phase of the month. Acquiring good genes for their unborn
children is priority number one, the study's thinking goes, so the thickness of
Mr. Right's wallet becomes secondary to the thickness of his biceps.
"Around here, they're either rich and
ugly or poor and good looking -- you can't have the best of both worlds,"
says Alejandra Gongora, a 20-year-old student at Grant MacEwan College in
Edmonton. She assures she will only marry a man for love.
"There is also that funny saying that
guys with expensive cars are substituting for something, so you really can't win
with a rich guy."
Extensive research has also been done to
prove women have the ability to detect a suitable mate by his smell. Although
some would argue the fairer sex is out to detect the scent of money on a man,
studies show they're looking for something much deeper, his immune system.
Researchers from the University of Chicago
found women prefer men with a genetic smell similar to their own, something they
detect through pheromones found in sweat. This contradicts previous studies that
suggested women sniff out immune systems completely different from theirs.
Either way, the research shows it's genetic
compatibility women want, not necessarily a meal ticket.
As for the price tag on J.Lo's good lovin', the jury is still
out. -
2002 October 5 Edmonton
Journal
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