however, had not been related to thet of the . That role, Women had the ssme recourse Plenipotentiary, wtJose mandate ~06 different. the courts to enforce their rights a6 msn but there were no specific legal provisions to combat sex disurimination. womsn to 180, Regarding article 3, the representative said that it was the intention of the Government that future smendmsnts to Mrs would safeguard women's rights, in particular with regard to work, maternity protection and social benefits. 181. Regarding questions relating to article 4, the representative explained that although the legislation contained some special protective measures concerning women’s employment , meteraity protection and social benefits, no temporary measures had yet been adopted to ovarcome the existing inequities between men and women regarding wages, job placement and promotion. With regard to wages, the Government had decided on uniform principles of job evaluation, which would ensure the elimination of differences in wages for men and women in comparable posts, which sometimes existed in practice. The concept of temporary measures and the question of State responsibility for the protection of women's social rights had been discussed at the governmental and non-governmental levels. 182. In relation to article 5, the representative stated that the mass media tended to portray women as working persons, with large families and household duties, overcoming existing economic difficulties. Recently, however, an attempt had been made to portray women diEferontly and to pretient a model of the family based on partnership and the sharing of responsibilities. Subsequently, a number of television and radio pragrsmmes for children, youth and adults, initiated by the Government Plenipotentiary for Women's Affairs, had been transmitted, which haa been well received according to public opinion. The responsibility for continuing those programmes, which constituted part of the Governmental Programme for the Advancement of Women, rested with the President of the Committee for Radio and Television. A number of television and radio programmes had been transmitted in order to assist women victims of violence, as well as to promote different patterns of behaviour and to encourage both partners to overcome crises caused by alcoholism. 183. Regarding article existoa in Poland, it women,who were often necessity. 6, the representative said that although prostitution was associated with the specific life-style of some educated and well-off, rather than with economic 184. Regarding the low representation of women in political life, reference was made, under article 7, to a number of studies that had been carried out by the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary, The new Government was aware of the unsatisfactory situation. some non-governmental organisations had requested that quotas be introduced, but that measure had not been popular in the society? because the affirmative action progrsnunes undnrtaken in the post-war period had been considered to have led to tokenism. The low participation of women in political life had also been linked to the economic crisis and to the unequal distribution of household respOn8ibiliGieS. According to some opinion6 in Poland, it was not possible to increase the participation of women under conditions of crisis; according to others, the economic situation neither negatively influenced nor discouraged such participation. -35