The Spirit of Independence- early woman settlers

There is something I find quite refreshing reading Ann Wee's book A Tiger Remembers- The way we were in Singapore. Ann Wee is often referred to as the founding Mother of social work in Singapore. Back in the 70s her university students in the course of their project work observed that early immigrants from China who remained as singles took on vastly different attitudes towards single hood depending on their gender. The single old men had low esteem for having no means to establish a family and carry on the family lineage. The single elderly female immigrants however had a proud sense of achieving independence through earning a livelihood without relying on others. Most of these grand old dames who lived in 'kongsi' (dwelling arrangement shared by singles) were either the 'Sam Sui' women who worked at construction sites or domestic servants who had pledged singlehood as a lifetime choice.
I find this phenomenon very amazing. We are referring to an era more than half a century ago when women are considered incomplete without settling down with a family, a social stigma against spinsters which lasted for centuries and which perhaps only abated until recent times. Instead this admirable group of fiercely independent women were proud of their status of self supporting livelihood. Along the way I wonder what happened that this spirit had not been upheld and that my generation still felt the pressure from society to get married despite the fact that we are educated and hold jobs like our brothers.
Apparently the history of this spirit started way back when young women in Guangdong working in the silk industry brought home income as much as their brothers. When rayon displaced silk in the early 20th Century many moved to Shanghai to work in the factories. When the Japanese invaded China these Cantonese women found their way to Singapore. "From only one dialect group, the Cantonese, was there sizeable immigration by single women " as was written in the book.

Being of Cantonese origin I am really proud of them and only lament this spirit of fearless disregard of social norms was not imparted to us. Now I also know why other Chinese dialects had the impression that Cantonese women are fierce; and I must say rightly and proudly so.