, Supreme Soviet, including the Foreign Affairs Committee, Youth and Health committees, etc. Women participate, on equal foot1ng w1th men, in the dlScussion of bills, adoption of laws, approval of plans tor soclo-economic development, for national bUdget and 1n decid1ng maJor 1ssues at the US~H's domestic and fore1gn pol1Cy. Women hold 65 per cent of all jobs 1n the management of pubL1C affa1rs, the economy and in the runn1ng ot co-operat1ve and commun1ty organizations. At the present moment, there are over half a million women factory and state farm directors and managers of bU11d1ng sltes and collect1ve tarms. Women occupy responsible pos1tions in the Council of Ministers of the U~SR. Nine women are Deputy Cha1rmen ot Counc11 of M1n1sters 1n Un10n Hepubl1cS and autonomous republics. Twenty-seven women stand at the head of min1stries 1n Un10n Republ1cS and autonomous repUblics: among them there are ministers of industry, foreign atfa1rs, training, health, etc. At the present time, the ranks of the Commun1st Party of the Soviet Union contain over 4.7 m11110n women. Soviet women are guaranteed full employment. Women 1n the USSR not only enJoy equal rights to work, but also equaL pay tor equal work. 96. 97. There 1S a state-established system of guarantees and pr1vileges allowing women to comb1ne work and motherhood. The State protects women's labour and health by prohibiting the use of women on hazardous and hard jobs and by provid1ng them with free medical serV1ce in special 1nstitutions of the State health system, as well as by developing the system of pre-school ch1ldren's facilities. Material anu moral support to motherhood and Ch11dhood in the U~~H 1S secured through payment ot maternity and post-natal benefits, provision of pald leave to care for slck ch1ldren, benef1ts to large families and slngle mothers, ana partlally pald leave to mothers until the child reaches the age of one year, and so on. The rent for homes in the USSR remains unchanged since L928 and now constltutes, 1ncLud1ng public utilities, 3 per cent of the income in workers' famllies. 96. Noting the importance of the pol1t1cal partlcipation of women, several quest10ns were raised regarding women's Leadershlp posltions and, specifically, whether there were women at the Pol1tburo leveL, 1n the Central Comm1ttee, as mln1sters, as headS of un1vers1t1es, techn1cal inst1tutes and higher courts, as directors or generaL managers of State enterpr1ses and as heads of trade unions. It was also asked whether spe,ial measures such as set percentages or quotas had been establ1shed. It was remarked that only 27 per cent ot women belonged to the Communist Party, and it was questioned whether that in any way hampered the part1clpat1on ot women 1n the POL1t1cal, SOC1aL ana econom1C llte ot the country. Questions were asked regarding the qualifications to be met in order to become a member ot the Party, as weLL as on the organ1zatlon ot eLectlons and whether membersh1p was necessary in order to participate 1n elections. ~~. Other members 1nqu1rea about the various establ1shed organ1zations and the1r co-ordinat1on and 1nterrelationsh1p concerning the monitor1ng ot the status of women, tor exampLe, among the Committee of Sovlet Women, the ~pec1al Women Affairs Commission of the All Union Central Trade Unions Council, youth organlzations and the recently created Permanent Comm1SS1on of Deputles of the Supreme Sov1et of the USSR on the Problems of Llfe and Labour of Women a~d the Protection of Mother and Child. 100. Information was requested concerning the composition and functions of the latter, which was created in 1976, and 1t was asked whether its establ1shment was not required because inequalities existed in the status of men and women. -16- Conc rela mean 10!. role was righ of t refe was join the the incr rega Ch1l 102. husb moth provi equa rega 103. deal wheth of hi 104. 1f th 105. regar 106. provi in fo rehab 107. expen amoun parti propo