a man is not a financial plan

[ReverendJay]

ummmm, well according to the SCMP...

They're intelligent, well educated and financially independent, but an increasing number of mainland women are struggling to find a partner and turning to professional matchmakers to bag a husband and improved security amid the global financial crisis.

One popular matchmaking website on the mainland said it had seen a 20 per cent rise in white-collar single women registering since the start of the economic downturn, Xinhua reported.

"Those who used to value their careers more and refused to face up to the prospect of marriage during the economic boom are now more eager to find a husband through matchmaking agencies," said the website's Fang Fang.

"Now, nearly 90 per cent of our female members earn more than 36,000 yuan [HK$41,000] a year, meeting the widely accepted mark for the middle class on the mainland. Many are successful career women," she said.

Sociology professor Jiang Qianjin from Zhejiang University attributed the matchmaking boom to single, white-collar women who wanted to regain some security in married life - after losing some of their financial independence and sense of security in the financial crisis.

He said women who were eager to share their burden now had time to meet future partners amid the recession. But almost all matchmakers complained that female professionals who were seeking marriage refused to lower their criteria for future husbands during the hard financial times.

Looks, occupation, wealth and social status of the family of potential mates are still considered carefully by fussy single women before agencies can arrange a meeting.

Although population authorities estimate millions of bachelors are unable to find a bride due to the nation's gender imbalance, unmarried female professionals claim they cannot find suitable partners.

[jaykay]

You will be so surprised how many women are depending on the husbands….

You are lucky if you are not one of them however especially in Hong Kong, when you have something that is called “depending Visa”

Do you have any idea whatsoever how many guys on here are on dependant visas?

Now dependant visa allows the spouse to work in whatever capacity they want in HK which actually gives them a benefit over and above those who are restricted by their work visas. Who wouldn't take advantage of that.........well apart from a few upturned nosed Tai Tais?

[MovingIn07]

Do you have any idea whatsoever how many guys on here are on dependant visas?

Now dependant visa allows the spouse to work in whatever capacity they want in HK which actually gives them a benefit over and above those who are restricted by their work visas. Who wouldn't take advantage of that.........well apart from a few upturned nosed Tai Tais?

Good point! My husband has far more flexibility than I do on his dependent visa!