CEDAW/C/ SR. 36 English Page 8 (Ms. Zhang Zhong-an, China) women, one of the nine State Councillors was a woman, and 5 per cent of the Ministers and Life Ministers of the State Council were women. At the provincial level, there were seven women Governors and Vice-Governors. At the county level, 14 per cent of the leadership posts were held by women. 36. China had emphasized education as a means of combating discrimination against and the abuse of women, safeguarding their legitimate rights and eradicating the concept of male superiority. In the past year, a mass-media campaign had been launched to publicize the legitimate rights and interests of women and children, what could be done to implement the principle of equality of the sexes, protect the family and property rights of women and children and deal with cases of violations. It was aimed particularly at rural women who, because of their limited education, were least aware of their rights and of how they could use the law to promote their interests. That was what had been meant in the report by the use of law as a weapon. 37. In addition, the All-China women's Federation had set up advisory legal services for women and assisted them, in co-ordination with government agencies, by bringing their cases to court if necessary. In the process some male-chauvinist ideas had been altered and those guilty of crimes had been punished. The Federation's programme had been effective nation-wide. 38. The Constitution and the laws guarantee equality between men and level of education, to raise their to encourage them to improve their were not sufficient of themselves, however, to women. It was imperative to increase women's consciousness, to enhance their self-respect and status. 39. The Committee had requested further information regarding the All-China Women's Federation. It had been founded in 1949 to safeguard women's rights. It served as a bridge between the masses of women and the Government and was largely funded by the Government. The Federation had provincial and local branches under the leadership of the Communist Party and a grass-roots organization known as the National women's Congress. Its staff of 400 (as against some 100,000 women's affairs specialists nation-wide) was playing an important role in mobilizing women to participate in political and economic life. Its representatives in the National People's Congress and other national bodies took a direct part in drafting national policy, programmes and legislation relating to women. The Federation had been involved in formulating the family planning policy and was implementing it in the local communities. It had also been one of the main organizers of the legal advisory programme mentioned earlier. The Government authorized it to participate in United Nations agencies dealing with women's affairs and it maintained relations with some 230 women's organizations in 126 countries. The Fifth National Women's Congress held in September 1983 had defined the Federation's main tasks for the next five years: to organize women to participate actively in the construction of socialist civilization; to guarantee the healthy growth of children; to safeguard the rights of women and children; and to contribute to national unification and world peace. I .. .