195. Education was free and scholarships wlth stlpel~s were granted to students who recelved the highest marks. FinanClal assistance was also given to those who needed such assistance. The system of education included pre-school, mandatory general seconaary, out-of-school, technical vocatlonal, speclal secondary and hlgher education. The two sexes attended class together, and all persons had the same access to educatlon. Concernlng the access of women to hlgher learnlng, the representative stated that 700 women held doctorates, 400 were members of the Academy and 15,500 were pursulng studies leading to a university de~ree. In 1959, out of every 1,000 women, 18 had completed advanced studies and 32 had secondary studlesl ln 1979, 20 years later, 58 of every 1,UOO women had completed advanced studies and 524 had completed their secondary studies. In accordance with artlcle 211 of the Labour Code, men and women working in the field of educatlon were entitled to additional paid leave to sit for exanllnations. Under article 209 of the same Code, during the school year they were glven llghter schedules or perlods of leave during Wh1Ch they received up to 50 per cent of the average wage and in no case less than the mlnimum wage. 196. Concerning women's participation in the polit1cal life ot the country, there were 234 elected women deputies, which represented 35.9 per cent of the total deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukra1nian SSR, a deputy chairman in the Presidium and another in the Council of Ministers. Two women headed the Social Security Ministry and the State Committee on Natural Preservation (Environment) and many women were vice-ministers in other ministries. Ukrainian women participated in large numbers in the work of international bodies, in which they were widely represented. Nevertheless, despite the requests of the Government, there were still too few of them in the United Nations Secretariat. 197. As to labour practice, the trial period mentioned in the report referred to both men and women. Labour disputes could be looked at by People's Courts but were mostly dealt with by trade unions. By law, it was forbidden not to hire either a pregnant woman or a nursing mother and recourse could be sought through the trade unlon or the courts. 198. The principles of work ethics in the country were: each according to his or her abil1t1es and to each accora1ng to his or her work. Pay scales were set up in conjunction with trade unions. Harmful work from which women were barred 1ncluded underground mln1ng, steel wela1ng ana work 1n hardship places as 1n the north of the country. Additional leave was extended to men who worked in those sectors, as well as to men and women who worked irregular hours and had a long record of service or who engaged in voluntary work in social order committees. In addition, pregnant women or nursing mothers could not do nlght work or overtime. Women were not conscripted into the armed forces, and the number of female volunteers who were assigned to technical positions, to the commissariat or to work as mechanics, was insignificant. 199. Some experts recow~ended drawing the attention of States parties to the desirab1lity of using the posltive experiences referred to 1n the above-mentioned report in order to make further progress in eliminating discrimination against women, not only de jure, but also de facto. Sweden 200. The Committee considered the initial report of Sweden (CEDAW/C/5/Add.8) at its 18th and 19th meetings, held on 8 August 1983 (CEDAW/C/SR.18 and 19). -31-