Women of the Post-80s: Career and Family

By Queenie Lam Kuan Lin

Have you heard of the new term “loser dogs”? It pops up in society and spreads widely, referring to women who cannot get married before 30. As the post-80s are approaching their 30s, do you face the pressure of having a family? Is it time for post-80s girls to have a family? What is the decision they make between career and family?

Suey Ho, who graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design last year, said that women should have their own career or work hard to pursue their dream after graduation. According to Ho, marriage is just a part of life and no longer is the whole world for women among the post-80s; women should enjoy their youth to fight for their dreams. As the growth of financial independence and self perception is so rapid, the concept of having a family is becoming much more individualistic. For post-80s women, having a job and stable income is a priority.

Women of the post-80s get much more status in workplaces compared with other generations. According to Martha Kuok, an assistant officer who has worked for Weng Hang Bank for three years after graduating from high school, post-80s women benefit from their gender, education and creativity. Kuok said, “They are young females, so they are occasionally forgiven for making mistakes as long as they apologize, and so am I.” Another important point is that they do not need to look after children and can be more concentrated on their jobs, Kuok added. Although she has been in a relationship for five years, she does not want to get married in such a young age. Kuok said that a marriage needs a lot of money and they have to save money for several years for that, if they have a plan to get married.

The first consideration for a job for post-80s women is salary. Caren Chan, who is a technician working for Serviços de Administração e Função Pública (SAFP) for two years, said that salary is a crucial factor for young women to choose a job. According to Chan, her current position is not her first job after she graduated from the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). She used to work in a travel agency. Why did she change the job? “…the salary is much higher than the previous job and it is quite stable to be a civil servant,” said Chan. Although Chan did not major in public administration, she is taking public administration courses in the University of Macau after work. She said that it is helpful in understanding her job better, and she is ambitious to get into a higher position. She is active in pursuing what she wants from the job. When asked about if she faces the pressure of having a family, Chan answered hesitantly that she can do nothing except to focus on her job, and she does not want to have a boyfriend for the purpose of marriage.