Indian women world's most stressed - survey

Via Network of Women in Media, India yahoo group:

Tue, Jun 28 12:24 PM IST
By Elaine Lies

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Women around the world feel stressed and pressed for
time, but women in emerging markets are more stressed than their sisters in
developed nations -- and Indian women say they are the most stressed of all,
according to a survey published on Tuesday.

But while women in emerging markets may be under more pressure, they are
also far more hopeful, with most seeing more financial stability and better
chances for education for their daughters, according to the survey of 21
developed and emerging nations by global information and analytics firm
Nielsen.

An overwhelming 87 percent of Indian women said they felt stressed most of
the time, and 82 percent had no time to relax.

Despite being stressed, though, Indian women were also the most likely to
spend any extra cash they might happen to have on themselves over the next
five years.

Nearly all, 96 percent, anticpated buying clothes, while 77 percent said
they would splash out on health and beauty products and 44 percent on home
electronics.

"Women across the globe are achieving higher levels of education, joining
the workforce in greater numbers and contributing more to the household
income," said Susan Whiting, vice chair at Nielsen, in a statement.

"Women tell Nielsen they feel empowered to reach their goals and get what
they want, but at the same time, this level of empowerment results in added
stress."

Mexican women came in second in terms of stress and lack of time, with 74
percent, followed by Russia with 69 percent, which the survey blamed partly
on the intense pace of social change, with what took half a century to
evolve in developed countries compressed into five for their emerging
cousins.

The highest stress levels in developed countries were Spain with 66 percent
and France with 65 percent. Some 53 percent of U.S. women said they were
stressed.

MORE STRESS, BUT MORE HOPE

Women in general felt they had more opportunities than their mothers no
matter where they were living.

But women in emerging markets believed their daughters will have more
chances than they did, while those in developed nations said their girls
will only have the same opportunites, not more.

In emerging markets, 80 percent of women surveyed believe their daughters
will have greater financial stability and 83 percent believe they will have
more educational opportunity.

Only 40 percent of women in developed nations saw their daughters having
more financial stability, and only 54 percent forecast more educational
chances.

"The difference in perceptions is ... reflective of the belief that women in
developed countries have achieved a certain level of attainment and
success," said Whiting.

"While women in emerging markets see tremendous growth in the opportunities
for their daughters, a plateau of hope is evident in developed countries."

The most optimistic women were in Turkey, an overwhelming 92 percent of whom
thought their daughters would have more opportunities than they did,
followed by 89 percent of Nigerians and Malaysians.

Only half of U.S. women thought the same.

No matter where they were, though, women were more keyed into social
networking than men, talking 28 percent more and texting 14 percent more
every month. They also visited more Internet community sites.

More than half of women in both developed and emerging nations said that
computers, mobile phones and smart phones had changed their lives for the
better.

"To connect with women, strategies should be social and relevant," said
Whiting, noting that social networking meant women followed brands more than
men.

"Women are much more likely to engage with media that seamlessly integrates
into and improves their day-to-day lives."

The survey was conducted from February to April and covered nearly 6,500
women in Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, China, Thailand, India,
Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom,
Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Australia and South Korea.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Sugita Katyal)