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  |  |   |  |   | ACWF helps Chinese women address difficulties 2003-08-15
 Xinhua
 
 Chinese women's federations 
at various levels have spared no efforts to meet the actual needs of Chinese 
women during the past five years, said Gu Xiulian, Vice President of the 
All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) here Thursday.
 
 According to the 
ACWF's statistics, more than 63 million rural Chinese women received 
agricultural technology training courses from 1998 to 2003, while over five 
million urban women were given professional training. To date, a total of two 
million Chinese women have been employed or re-employed with the ACWF's 
help.
 
 At the same time, Chinese women's federations have helped more than 
two million women shrug off poverty by offering them small loans worth 950 
million yuan (about 114.5 million US dollars).
 
 Meanwhile, the potable 
water difficulties of nearly 800,000 local people in western China have been 
solved thanks to the " Mothers' Water-Cellars" project which was launched by 
women's federations and helped raise 200 million yuan (about 24.1 million US 
dollars).
 
 Chinese women's federations at various levels also attracted a 
total of 300 million yuan (about 36.1 million US dollars) in donations from home 
and abroad to help 750,000 drop-out girls return to school.
 
 Chinese 
Women's federations have also actively participated in the amendment to the 
Marriage Law, in the formulation of the Law on Land Contract in the Rural Areas 
and in the supervision of the implementation of the Law on the Protection of 
Women's Rights and Interests.
 
 However, Gu, also vice-chairperson of the 
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, pointed out that there are 
still some problems in the development of Chinese women which need to be 
addressed with urgency. Efforts should be continued for women's political 
participation, women's employment and the protection of female workers' rights.
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