The Women’s General Association of Macau (commonly known as Fu Luen) said yesterday that it conducted a survey in conjunction with the Association of Building a Happy Home Together (共建好家園協會) in July about women’s happiness levels, and the findings show that local women are less happy compared to 2015.
The two associations’ representatives announced the survey findings during a press conference at the Women’s General Association of Macau’s premises in Rua do Campo
One of the representatives said that in order to know more about the happiness levels of women in Macau, the Women’s General Association of Macau conducted a similar survey in 2015, and in July it cooperated with the Association of Building a Happy Home Together to survey over 2,700 females aged 16 or above. The survey noted that, on average, the respondents rated their happiness level at 6.85, which is “mediocre” and a decline compared with 2015 findings.
The findings pointed out that around 70 percent of the respondents said that they frequently feel negative emotions, especially for those aged between 26 and 35, adding that in that particular age group only 17 percent do not frequently feel negative emotions.
According to the findings, around 90 percent of the respondents pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic their family members and their own quality of life decreased, which impacted their emotions negatively. The findings also showed that over 80 percent said that it’s hard to strike a balance between work and family, especially for those aged between 26 and 45. The findings also said that 84 percent of the respondents thought males have a better chance of promotion than women.
Meanwhile, respondents who are married and have children show a higher level of happiness, adding that female senior citizens are happier than the younger age groups. The findings also noted that the “middle class” tends to have the lowest happiness level, while those who earn a monthly salary of 45,000 patacas or above have the highest happiness level. The findings also show that women who have a monthly income of less than 10,000 patacas are the most satisfied with the government’s policies and their living environment, pointing out that those with a monthly income of less than 10,000 patacas are mainly retired women.
The findings compared the data with 2015 and concluded that the novel coronavirus has had different levels of impact on residents’ emotions. The two representatives suggested there are a few ways to improve the situation such as putting more emphasis on improving working mothers’ happiness level, providing services to support women’s mental health and optimising the government’s family planning policy.
Three representatives from the Women’s General Association of Macau and Association of Building a Happy Home Together pose during yesterday’s press conference about local women’s happiness levels, at the Women’s General Association of Macau’s premises on Rua do Campo. Photo courtesy of TDM
