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The income gap between women and men has grown to 1:0.65 in Shanghai,a recent government report reveals.

In 2005, the average pre-tax income of Shanghai men was 23,654 yuan (US$2,946), compared to just 15,292 yuan (US$1,912) for the average Shanghai woman.

The gap has particularly increased among those working in private enterprises. Compared with 2000, the income gap has increased 24.1 per cent.

"The employment rate of women is not low, but the level at which they are employed is comparatively lower than that of men. This leads to a big difference in their incomes," said Meng Yankun, chairwoman of Shanghai Women's Federation.

That said, the city does boast some high-profi le women bosses such as Xie Qihua, the former chairwoman of Baosteal Group and Wang Shaofen, board chairwoman of the Bright Dairy Products Group. However, these are very much the exception rather than the rule and few local women are taking high-level management positions.

In well-paid industries like commerce, economics and culture,women account for 60 to 70 per cent of employees, but men still dominate at the management level. According to Meng, 80 per cent of women employees at local banks have college degrees or above, but most are working the front-line windows.

A weaker education background and poor competitive skills are two of the main excuses used for why women are paid less than men.Sociologists say it is the traditional undervaluing of women's careers that has created a "glass ceiling."

The phenomenon refers to the diffi culty women face in progressing above entry level and into the higher echelons of management.

In the media industry, the ratio of women to men is approximately 7:3 in Shanghai. But women account for just a tiny fraction of management positions, according to a study by Xu Xin from Shanghai University.

Most women are engaged in administrative work and women reporters and editors are assigned to cover soft beats like children,education or family programmes.

"Women are treated worse than men because the traditional concept is that women should shoulder the responsibility of caring for their husband and children, while it should be the man who supports the family fi nancially,"said Meng.

Chen Xiaoyun of the Social Development and Public Policy School of Fudan University said the mass media has restricted coverage of women's true capabilities.

"The lack of necessary measures ensuring women's political participation and the current low percentage of women in senior management hardly sets a good example for the public," said Chen.

To cut the income gap will rely on both the efforts of women to improve their comprehensive competitiveness, and the progress of society, experts say.

"It's vital to eliminate the traditional concept that 'women are weak'," said Meng.

But at the same time as some women are calling for equal treatment in their careers, there is also an increasing number of women who choose to leave their jobs and pursue the traditional role of fulltime housewives.

A recent survey found that more than 10 per cent of local women think being a full-time housewife is a good choice if the woman enjoys it. They believe a stay-at- me wife can improve the quality of family life. But it needs a lot of confi dence in oneself and trust in the husband, as well as strong fi nancial support.

"The biggest concern is 'is my husband rich enough to support me and is he willing to support me'," said Mary Huang, a local lawyer.

Zhang Li, in her late 20's,hopes she can stay at home after getting married. "Being a housewife doesn't mean doing nothing.She can focus on running a busy home; she will not be pushed by work and have more freedom to manage her life," said Zhang.

But experts say the weak social support system and immature legal system could prove major obstacles for those hoping to be happy housewives.

A local woman, He Jian, stayed at home for four years to take care of her son, while her husband ran a successful company to support the family.

But recently she decided to take a job. "In the eyes of my parents- in-law, I contributed almost nothing to the family. They don't properly value the work spent caring for my son and husband, cooking and cleaning," she said.

"Shanghai women are educated from childhood to manage everything, so it's not suitable for them to be full-time housewives,"said Zhou Meizhen, associate professor of Shanghai Women's Education and Training Centre, quoted in the Shanghai Times.

Zhou suggested women evaluate their lives thoroughly before deciding to stay athome. She also advised full-time housewives manage the wealth of the family to avoid any diffi cult fi nancial situation if the marriage ends in divorce.