According to a latest survey, women have control of money matters in half of China's rural families. The survey was launched by All-China Women's Federation in 2006, with the aim of protecting women's legitimate interests in the countryside.

The survey shows that most women in the rural areas have the final say in financial matters in the families, and the financial interests of divorced and remarried women are also concerned. 95.6 percent of CPC secretaries of villages believe those women who have divorced or remarried can be entitled to the property "as ruled by the court" and 85% of ordinary farmers believe such ruling is reasonable.

The survey also finds that 86% of women villagers and 87% of men villagers think the best way to find marriage partners is by free choice, "which demonstrates that the traditional arbitrarily arranged marriage is becoming obsolete."

The survey was launched in eight provinces and autonomous regions including Zhejiang, Jilin, Fujian, Hubei, Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Guizhou, and four cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu.

(Chinanews March 14, 2007)