Chinese men reject high-flying women

Career women in China risk being left on the shelf because men are uncomfortable with their achievements, a UK study has found.

China’s government and media have expressed growing concern over the sheng nu – translated as “leftover women”. These are women who remain unmarried despite a good education and high-flying jobs.

Although westerners sometimes portray them as symbols of a newly liberated generation of Chinese women, the truth 
appears to be that many are traditionalists who struggle to find a relationship that works, the University of Cambridge said.

According to the university, the women, in their late 20s or early 30s, are accused of having only themselves to blame. It is believed they have overly high expectations for suitors.

Dr Sandy To, who led the study, said: “During China’s 
early reform era, management-level women faced discriminatory treatment in the marriage market.

“Four decades later, my research found that highly educated women in today’s post-reform era still suffer from the same discrimination, as they are passed over for less-educated, less career-orientated women instead.”