Shanghai wives have bigger say

Women, rather than men, have a bigger say as well as more real power in many Shanghai families, according to a recent survey conducted by Shanghai Marriage and Family Research Commission.

This is very different from the whole picture in China, where usually the husband holds a dominant position in a family.

Nearly 40 percent of the respondents in the poll said the wife has a bigger say and more real power in their family, while only nearly 20 percent chose the husband. Another around 40 percent said the husband and the wife have the same room in terms of the right of speech and making decisions.

A total of 509 married women at work participated in the poll, and more than 70 percent of them received college education and above.

More than half of the respondents in the survey said the husband gave in when the couple has a conflict. On the other hand, only 17 percent said the wife compromised in those cases.

Marriage and family experts believe the unique style of conjugal relations and family management in Shanghai is determined by the particular culture of the city, a migrant municipality that shows a welcoming and tolerant face to its diverse new members.

According to a survey conducted in 31 cities across the country by Horizon Research Consultancy Group in 2013, Shanghai ranks first in the number of families where the women make more decisions followed by Chengdu in Sichuan province and Chaozhou in Guangdong province. Men in provinces in Central China have the highest family status.