Many Chinese women are taking advantage of China's booming economy by launching new businesses or climbing the corporate ladder at work. A few who are married to newly wealthy men can afford to quit their jobs when they have children, but most are putting in the time and effort that a career requires while raising children at the same time. Women of this generation, who are in their 30s and 40s, were raised by mothers who had jobs outside the home, so they don't feel guilty about working and raising children at the same time. Many of them learned to be independent at an early age when the government sent their parents to work at distant farms and factories. Women of this generation say they are deeply attached to their children, but they want to teach them to be independent and to seize the opportunities that are presented to them.

Compared to American mothers, Chinese women have access to free or low-cost day care centers, which makes it much easier for them to balance work and family. Many also rely on their parents or in-laws to help them care for children and those in professional jobs can afford to hire housekeepers and nannies. However, even though they are present in the workplace, Chinese women have not achieved workplace equality. A Peking University study of 100 business students with corporate jobs found that women typically have to outperform men to get ahead. Most women work in human resources rather than manufacturing, finance, or sales and marketing. And with expectations in general very high for revenue growth in China, workloads are demanding and long hours are typical.