CEDAW/C/SR.33 English Page 9 (Mrs. Zang Zhong-an, China) took part in formulating government policies, decrees and plans, and monitored their implementation. In September 1983 the Federation had convened its Fifth National Congress, attended by nearly 2,000 representativesJ one of the major topics had been how to implement the rights and protect the interests of women and children as laid down in the Constitution. Between the winter of 1983 and the spring of 1984 a public educational programme on the legal protection of the legitimate rights and interests of women and children, co-sponsored by the relevant governmental departments, the All-China Women's Federation, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Communist Youth League, had been launched throughout the country. That programme had used all the mass media in order to explain the contents and underlying spirit of the legal provisions safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children. It had cited exemplary action taken in that regard, called upon women to defend their own legitimate rights and interests, had encouraged them to learn about and comply with the law, and had urged them to be self,::onfident, to respect and improve themselves, and to use the law as a weapon to combat the violation of their rights. Many professionals in the field of law had gone to the grass-roots level and had set up legal-advice booths in residential areas, factories and villages to spread knowledge about the law and to provide legal guidance. That nation-wide programme had aroused public concern about the issue and had made the whole of society more aware of its responsibility in safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children. It had dealt a heavy blow to the lingering discriminatory practices and traditional prejudices against women, had helped enhance women's self-confidence and their awareness of the need for self-improvement, and had laid the foundation for a generally accepted social morality which respected the principle of equality between the sexes and protected women and children. 26. In view of the foregoing, it was obvious -that the Government intended to implement the Convention. It was very difficult to eradicate within a short period of time the centuries-old ideas of male superiority and other traditional prejudices against women. Those prejudices, aggravated by the influence of decadent ideologies from abroad, had resulted in sporadic cases of discrimination and maltreatment of women. The combined efforts of all sectors of society were necessary in order to stamp them out and stop the violation of the legitimate rights and interests of women. The Chinese Government believed that publicizing the principles of the Convention and implementing them more extensively would help achieve that goal. 'lbrough the measures taken by the Government, the enthusiastic response and support of the whole society and the vigorous efforts of the women themselves, it could be hoped that the principle of equality between the sexes laid down in the Convention would become a reality and that all forms of discrimination against women would be eliminated. The Chinese Government was determined to spare no effort to achieve that objective. 27. Ms. SMITH expressed satisfaction at the sincere and concise report submitted by the People's Republic of China. In view of the great size of the country, clearly it must be very difficult to eliminate, both de facto and de jure, all forms of discrimination, nevertheless, it was evident th~t the Government was determined to ensure the full implementation of the Convention. The report / ...