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Working mothers in China lack support from employers – and their own families

  • More than eight in 10 professional women believe giving birth harmed their chances of getting a promotion at work, a recent survey found
  • Of the more than 8,000 professional women surveyed, 40 per cent said they became stay-at-home mums because husbands were too busy at work

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A group of Chinese mothers go shopping with their children at a furniture store in Beijing. A survey has highlighted the problems working mothers face in China. Photo: AFP

The problems working mothers face have become an increasingly hot issue around the world, and China is no exception.

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More than eight out of 10 professional women who took part in a recent survey in China said they believed that giving birth had affected their chances of getting a promotion, and 30 per cent said they had tried to hide their pregnancy for as long as possible in case they were replaced.

Nine out of 10 of those surveyed said they had been asked about their plans for motherhood during job interviews even though this is illegal.

They also complained that their families were not giving them the support they needed and were struggling with work-life balance.

A Chinese mother sits down with her daughter while shopping in Beijing. Photo: AFP
A Chinese mother sits down with her daughter while shopping in Beijing. Photo: AFP
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“I never thought one day I would become a full-time mom, but it actually happened,” said one woman, who was looking to get back to work after spending three years at home.

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