common translation women ladies term popular women remain unmarried late twenties term prominently china including state sponsored directive program describe women asia india north_america term gone widely mainstream media subject series magazine newspaper articles book publications focusing good bad aspects term surrounding culture described social force argued term taken positive mean successful women slang term women meaning single 1970s stuck place equivalent term men gun meaning bare branches refer men marry add branches family tree similarly men background child policy sex selective china caused growing country gender balance child policy introduced approximately million men women born males females born china expected million men women global average males females according new_york_times central people government issued population family planning program child policy address urgent gender cited major threat social stability council cited upgrading population quality primary goals appointed state agency established protect women rights interests oversee resolve issue exact etymology term known reliable sources cite having entered mainstream reported editor chief coined term term literally translates ladies women released official statement defining unmarried women age added national ministry expanded meaning failure find husband overly high expectations marriage partners subsequent statement according sources government mandated publish series articles women late twenties march posted controversial article titled women deserve sympathy shortly excerpt states pretty girls need lot education marry rich powerful family girls average ugly appearance find difficult girls hope education order increase tragedy don realise women age worth time phd old like originally articles available website relating subject subsequently removed included advice tips china culture statistics state census figures reported approximately women age remain unmarried contrast proportion men age range higher sitting reported men believe women married years old chinese women unmarried percentage falls ages comparison neighbouring countries similar traditional values figures china having highest female marriage rates world despite categorized relatively rare demographic social culture traditions china issue social spotlight study married couples china noted men tended marry socio economic ladder opinion quality guys find quality women quality guys find quality women quality men find quality women says people left quality women quality men woman quality studies china gender notes men society left marriage market pattern coming emerge women society china asian countries share long history conservative view marriage family structure including marrying young age pressure society family source criticism shame social embarrassment social anxiety women unmarried women interviewed bbc said afraid friends neighbours regard abnormal parents feel totally losing face friends similar sentiment shared women china particularly recent university graduates report cnn cited survey female university graduates chinese universities approximately percent surveyed said greatest fear lady increasing popularity women china largely growing educated middle class women free able live independently comparison previous generations forbes reported richest self women world chinese addition cites chinese female percent women management jobs making second highest worldwide thailand noted outcome reluctance male partners date women professionally successful unwilling work rapidly growing trend sex commonly surveyed noted women china chinese women engaged sex professor states shows increase types relationships new generations china movement china word banned government websites including website marginally successful wording changed old unmarried women remains widespread mainstream idea term embraced opening social clubs interview fashion editor stated modern single women china enjoy independence feel comfortable holding right man grow older explained don want age social pressure sandy university_of_cambridge conducted grounded theory method study china topic research focused marriage partner choice chinese professional women form different partner choice strategies main finding study found contrary popular belief highly educated single women remain unmarried want traditional roles marriage personal preference contrast commonly appetite marriage main obstacle traditional attitudes study pointed asian countries japan singapore south_korea taiwan women receiving higher education average age marriage higher cited united_nations survey found percent women united_kingdom percent women japan single ages published article cited figures reported women united_states women britain remained unmarried media chinese media capitalized subject matter television shows viral videos newspapers magazine articles sharply criticized women waiting man bigger house car television series comedy marry family revolves principal concept family searches prospective main character series old women married terms like economy bringing subject public fascination obsession satellite television popular chinese game loosely based taken rise credited national obsession surrounding china viewed game response popular music video called car house blue collar chinese music video called house car group women uploaded video viewed million times days chinese video site commercial interests taken advantage situation increased popularity hire concept turned popular television drama series called renting girlfriend home reunion longevity consequences experts term longevity national population family planning commission moving child policy favour appropriate scientific family planning policy child policy child limit increased points phenomenon like feminist movement west women consciously demanded equal rights jobs independence change subtle decades later viewed symbolic china social progress turning point role women society article concludes mounting pressure hopes fulfilling career personal ambitions home women urge pack leave grows stronger time women mainland left weaker economy greater pool frustrated men divorce rates shanghai beijing china populated economic centres steadily rising reaching contributing factors online dating upward mobility people attributed pushing average age marriage china making closer global marriage trends cultures united_states comparisons newsweek cover featured article said women weren married better chance killed terrorist finding husband newsweek eventually apologized story launched study discovered women single married story caused wave anxiety skepticism professional highly educated women united_states article cited times hollywood film seattle starring noted united_nations study mentioned earlier united_states nearly half women single term describe unmarried women single popular american reality television series successful mid late twenties eligible los_angeles deputy mayor chinese american wrote book titled marry age book pop culture bestseller commissioned published chinese government self help book unmarried women earlier interview quoted saying try find right right forever year named woman year countries singapore noted gone similar period prime minister singapore sparked great marriage debate encouraged singapore men choose highly educated women wives concerned large number graduate women unmarried sections population including graduate women upset views match making agency set promote men women graduates graduate mothers scheme lee introduced incentives tax schooling housing priorities graduate mothers children reversal successful stop family planning campaign 1960s 1970s late 1990s birth rate fallen low lee successor extended incentives married women gave incentives baby bonus scheme lee reaffirmed controversial position personal memoir world educated women marry children study cited reported britain percent japan percent women single similar feature focused reception concept outside china particularly asia specifically korea japan india japanese noted 1980s term christmas commonly refer women unmarried national age average married women actual reference christmas saying wants christmas december contributor wrote similarly class highly educated independent age women choose live liberated life talent skill good use society happening india people choices simply refuse labels happy explained alternatively men japan term men describe men interest getting married finding girlfriend posted question women unique chinese phenomenon opinions column readers cited experiences universally stating felt societal family pressures marriage studies china gender stated phenomenon similar trends seen world countries ranging united_states japan higher education increased employment women autonomy cites studies women breaking tradition mandatory marriage fewer children marry later life similar terms modern countries cultures concept existed cases far 16th century term describe unmarried single women age wasn civil partnership act replaced word single relationship history section marriage certificates subsequently height industrial revolution term surplus women describe excess unmarried women britain traditional french label women years old older unmarried alexandria november french catherine hair meaning remain old maid associated tradition
Sheng nu