CEDAW/C/SR. 33 English Page 8 (Mrs. Zang Zhong-an, China) such sectors as the oil industry, railways and communications, geology, agriculture, forestry, meteorology, electronics and space technology. Many prominent women carried out important functions at all levels and many of them had been cited as model workers. 22. In the rural areas, where 80 per cent of the country's population lived, the female work force totalled 150 million. Women played an important role in the current reform of the economic system in the rural areas and carried out all kinds of productive work. Women now had more opportunities to apply their skills, and many of them had made commendable achievements in- production and in management. In addition, their income had greatly increased and their performance helped in overcoming outmoded ideas of male superiority, of which there were still some vestiges. 23. Chinese women had steadily raised their cultural level and had improved their working skills. Women constituted nearly one third of the country's scientists and technicians. There were approximately 100,000 women instructors and engineers. In the universities, one tourth of the faculty were women. Fifteen women who had made outstanding scientific contributions were members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The peasants and workers were experiencing a new wave of enthusiasm for learning science and culture. To meet their needs, adult education was being promoted t .o gether with full-time school education. In the past 30 years, halt of the 43 million that had qraduated from adult educational institutions were women. 24. The Marriage Law provided the basic guidelines governing family relations. The new Marriage Law, adopted in 1980, stipulated that marriage was based on the free choice of partners, monogamy and equal rights for the sexes. The lawful rights of .women, children and the aged were protected and the law stipulated that both partners enjoyed equal status in the home, each had the right to use his or her family name and had the freedom to work, study and participate in social activities without interference from the other. Both husband and wife had the duty to practise family planning. Children could a~opt either their father's or mother's family name. The Marriage Law guaranteed that women had equal rights and obligations in the home, and it had led to family relations being more happy and stable. It was very common for both spouses to share domestic chores and that had contributed to solving the practical problems of working wives and had promoted proper social attitudes. Meanwhile the Government was endeavouring to lessen - the load of housework by increasing public services. Today, in the major cities of the country efforts were being made to develop tasty prepared or semi-prepared foods, reasonably priced clothing for both sexes and all ages, and electric appliances to make housekeeping easier. One of the most important measures to alleviate women's household burdens was the establishment of more child-care services. At present, a quarter of all pre-school-age children received care and education in various types of nurseries and kindergartens. 25. The All-China Women's Federation was a national mass organization for women which served as a link between the Government and female population. Its main objective was to protect the rights and interests of women and children. ·The Federation had actively participated in the drawing up of the Constitution and it / ...