Hakka Women are characterized by their strong personalities of sharing most heavy labor in the family. While during the migration, the men had to prepare all the time to defend any military intrusion, women had to take care of the home and family including minding the fields. They are easily recognized by their typical flat round hat woven with cane fiber, and rimmed with a skirt of black cloth. A round hole in the middle of the hat fits any head size. They are almost uniformly dressed in black with scanty embroidery along the seam. Legend has it that the rudimentary look of a team of Hakka women marching to the fields had kept the Yuan soldiers from seizing the refugee emperor of Southern Song.

Hakka women never bound their feet even under the greatest social pressure during the Qing Dynasty. Such custom is not compatible with their role in the family. While the man of the house often had to look for new route for the migration, or engaged in numerous battles, the elderly Hakka women in the house were left with the authority of decision making for the whole family. So developed their independence, liberalness and equality in sharing the decision in the family. Without such support, the venturesome Hakka men would not be successful during the massive migration, hundreds of years ago or now.

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