ACWF Holds the Executive Committee Meeting in Beijing
　　Zhao Shaohua Augmented as Member of the Standing Committee and Member of the Secretariat
　　The fourth meeting of the Executive Committee of the Eighth National Women's Congress (ENWC) was held in Beijing. The meeting examined and adopted the work report of the Standing Committee of the ENWC; had discussions on the "ACWF's Suggestions to Further Enhance the Building of Its Organizational System;" listened to a special report on WTO, and made an over all arrangement for its work in 2002. The meeting set a clear direction for the ACWF's work to push forward its innovation and development.
　　According to relevant rules of the Constitution of ACWF, Cao Suying and other 13 persons were alternated as members of the Executive Committee of the ENWC. Zhao Shaohua and other three persons were augmented as members of the Executive Committee of the ENWC. Zhao Shaohua was also augmented as a member of the Standing Committee of the Executive Committee of the ENWC and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF.

"Mass Media and Women's Development" Held in Beijing
　　On December 27 and 28, 2001, a discussion on "Mass Media and Women's Development" co-sponsored by the ACWF and the Chinese Women's Research Society was held in Beijing. The discussion summed up mass media's achievements and experiences in promoting gender equality and women's development, analyzed the factors unfavorable to women's development that occur in the practices of mass media and explored countermeasures and suggestions to solve problems.
　　Peng Peiyun, Vice Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee and President of the ACWF made an important speech at the discussion. She highly praised the important role that mass media has played in promoting the development of Chinese women and the sound social influence their efforts have achieved. At the same time, she also pointed out that the present publicity that media gives on women's images and roles in society do not fit the actual achievements and social roles of Chinese women. Influenced by the thousands-year-old feudal value that "men are superior to women," there still remain factors in the mass media's exposure that are unfavorable for women's development. She hopes the media is able to try their best to create a sound promotional environment for the development of women.

"Women's Reemployment and Starting a Business" Held in Tianjin
　　On December 13 and 14, 2001, a discussion on "Women's Reemployment and Starting a Business" under the project of "Aiding Laid-off Women Worker To Get Reemployment and Start a New Business" was held in Tianjin. The discussion was co-sponsored by the ACWF and the China International Economy and Technology Exchanging Center under the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. This specific project is supported by UNDP and AusAID and carried out by the ACWF and the Tianjin Women's Federation.
　　The aim of the discussion was to find trouble and obstacles met during the carrying out of the project; to further explore ways to enlarge women's reemployment by means such as micro loans and enterprise incubators; and to promote a depth of cooperation among the government, financial institutions, international aid-giving organizations and NGOs on aiding laid-off women in reemployment.
　　UNDP's representative office in China, AusAID, the China International Economy and Technology Exchanging Center, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Development Research Center under the State Council, the Government of Tianjin, the Tianjin Women's Federation, and relevant ministries, financial institutions, project experts and project beneficiaries all participated in the discussion.
At the meeting, representatives from the project office of the Tianjin Women's Federation and project beneficiaries introduced the effects of the project. International experts gave their assessments on the implementation of the project. Representatives from relevant ministries also answered questions concerning relevant policies.

ACWF Runs Training Class on Growing Hi-Tech Vegetables
　　From October 22 to 27, 2001, the ACWF held a training class on technologies for growing hi-tech vegetables in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, for women farmers. About 200 women key technical personnel, agricultural technique promotion personnel and directors of grassroots women's federations coming from 17 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government participated in the training.
Through attending experts' lectures, inspecting and learning from videos and on-the-spot investigations, the sponsors helped the trainees broaden their view and thoughts, understand the developing trends of China's vegetable industry and acquire knowledge on patterns to develop a scale business and benefits of the hi-tech vegetable industry. Furthermore, they also mastered the growing and management technology of more than 10 types of greenhouse vegetables.
　　During the training, the trainees exchanged their experiences on developing the vegetable industries and relevant local information. They also had a discussion on the future development of China's hi-tech vegetable industry.

Women Volunteers Bring Science and Technology to the West
　　From September 8 to 24, 2001, a science and technology service team, consisting of the "Chinese Women Volunteers" from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing Forestry University and women's NGOs, covered a 20,000-kilometer route by way of Jiangxi's Ruijin, Guizhou's Zunyi, Sichuan's Luojiang, Gansu's Dingxi, Ningxia's Tongxin and Shaanxi's Ansai to spread scientific and technological knowledge among rural people and ended in Shaanxi's Yan'an. This activity was sponsored by the National Leading Group of Rural Women's "Double Learning and Double Emulation" and organized by the ACWF.
　　The science and technology service team promoted science and technology in various ways. Local people greatly welcomed their lectures, knowledge competition, on-the-spot services and bringing science and technology to villages and households. Wherever the team went, a large number of people earnestly participated in their activities. With a strong desire for science and technology know-how, rural women brought their urgent farming problems to the experts and listened attentively to their answers. The experts of the service team also handed out free materials and books to the local women. Wei Cen, famous expert on vegetable protection in China, brought 100 copies of a pesticide catalogue and 80 copies of her work Proper Usage of Pesticide, which she purchased herself with her editing fee and handed them out free along the way.
　　More than 700 agricultural experts and science and technology workers participated in the activity. About 10,000 rural women received services of technology and information and a total of 2,400 rural women received training during the 12 lectures on farm and cultivation technology. More than 400,000 copies and 100s kinds of science and technology books and health care materials were handed out. The service team also contributed 60,000 yuan to build a school for rural women in each of the six provinces and autonomous regions.

Laid-Off Women Workers Aided To Gain Reemployment in Fuxin
　　The Fuxin Women's Federation of Liaoning Province carried out the activity "women starting new undertakings" among grassroots women's federations and local women to help the most needy groups of laid-off women to gain reemployment as soon as possible and guarantee their basic life needs.
　　Complying with requirements by the Municipal Government to aid laid-off women, the Fuxin Women's Federation provides these women with typical examples, technical training, information services, financial aids and partner supports for their obtaining reemployment. According to statistics, from January to July 2001, women's federations at all levels in Fuxin had supported and helped 1,104 laid-off people become re-employed, 187 of them men. Among the total, 257 were organized to work in Shenyang City, Dalian City and Hebei Province, and 847 were assigned to work for collective and private enterprises or as either service staff or an hourly worker inside Fuxin City. This activity not only helps laid-off people gain reemployment but also promoted the stability of society.
While aiding and supporting laid-off people, the Fuxin Women's Federation took five specific measures:
　　First: Advocated successful examples of reemployment through public lectures and forums, experience-exchange meetings and media publicity to help the laid off establish the proper concept of employment.
Second: Enhanced training for laid-off people. According to individual needs and social needs, the federation cooperated with relevant departments to hold many training classes, including tailoring, hairdressing, cooking, computer operation, driving and family services. These classes benefited more than 3,000 laid-off and unemployed women and provided them with favorable conditions for reemployment.
　　Third: Improved the diffusion and exchange of information. Women's federations at all levels in Fuxin not only widely collected local employment information, but also exchanged employment information with other women's federations at provincial and even national levels. They also collected information on posts that suited laid-off women and held special recruiting fairs to provide the laid off with the employment information that met their own conditions and hopes.
　　Fourth: Set up a women's revolving fund for the aid of the poor. The Fuxin Women's Federation endeavored to have a 280,000-yuan women's revolving fund from the Provincial Women's Federation and a 100,000-yuan supporting fund from the Municipal Government and set up a 380,000-yuan women's revolving fund to aid the poor and help laid-off women start projects. As a result, a community fast food project was started in Haizhou District to meet the needs of local residents. Four projects in handcrafts processing, community grain supply, greenhouses' establishment and livestock farming were launched in Taiping District. And in Xinqiu District, a project to raise blue foxes and rabbits was begun and each of the 25 laid-off women got 2,000 yuan to start their own business; so far, about 60 households have participated in the project.
　　Fifth: Widely developed the activity of partnership in aiding the poor; encouraged a sound atmosphere of "sisters helping each other; the well off helping the poor." Helped impoverished women to shake off poverty as soon as possible by providing them with projects, funds, technologies, information and materials. Meanwhile, the Fuxin Women's Federation also launched a project "to help 10,000 women out of poverty." To promote this project, investigations were carried out to clarify the reason for poverty and study the living conditions of the 10,000 impoverished women in Fuxin, also those who provided aid were registered.

Rural Women's Professional Organizations Set Up in Qinghai
　　To help women farmers and herdsmen better adapt to the new situations in rural economic development, the Qinghai Women's Federation decided to assist and guide the set up of rural women's professional organizations in regions that meet the required conditions, so as to push forward the special production bases in the province and to realize a scale operation of local farming and husbandry industries.
Owning to the unbalanced development of the special production bases in Qinghai, the Qinghai Women's Federation adopts policies that tilt in favor of regions that have better development foundations. Testing regions were selected according to the principles of cautiousness and stability, and according to conditions of whether the region has a famous farming or husbandry product. Thus, the women's professional organizations in farming and pastoral areas will be on a standard development track from the very beginning. So far, a total 33 of such organizations have been set up. Most of them are in Qinghai's eastern areas and Xining City; others are in small farming areas in west Qinghai.
　　The necessary conditions for the setting up of a professional organization are: sound basic conditions and strong technology awareness of local women. For example, the Women's Association on Greenhouse Vegetable Technology, the Potato Mulching Technology Association, the Pepper Growing Association, the Chinese Chives Growing Association and the Fine Vegetables Growing Association in Ledu County are all set up on the basis of a sound production scale.
　　Most of these professional organizations have their own constitutions and fixed members. In their initial stages, their functions are mainly to exchange experiences and spread scientific growing technologies among women. A professional organization in Dagele Township, Ge'ermu City, Haixi Prefecture cooperated with the local cultural center to broadcast growing technologies on local TV every night. This greatly encourages local women's passion in learning and using science and technology.

Schools for Women Developed in Shunde
　　With the help of various social resources, the Shunde Women's Federation in Guangdong Province achieved success in bringing education to women at different levels through flexible and diversified forms.
　　During the 20 years of China's reform and opening up, Shunde has changed from formerly being a traditional agricultural county into a leading city in Guangdong's economic development. Now it is among the earliest testing cities in Guangdong to have basically realized modernization. The rapid development of the city calls for high quality of its residents. Therefore, a pressing matter at present for Shunde is to promote people's quality. To meet the great demands, the Shunde Women's Federation decided to change the former farming technology training classes in rural areas into multi-purpose schools engaged in comprehensive education for women. The teaching subjects also changed from scientific farming knowledge to a comprehensive study. Such schools provide flexible and diversified ways of study that attract women to participate actively. These schools have had a long-term cooperation with the provincial girls' special secondary school, which provides teaching materials and teachers, while the local women's federations are responsible for organizing students. The Shunde Women's Federation made unified allocations for the teaching resources of the women's schools to guarantee the quality of education. The courses of such schools can be shifted according to needs.
　　Because of the efforts of the Shunde Women's Federation, now that each village, town, street community and even some enterprises in Shunde have set up their own schools for women. About 80,000 persons have participated in study in such schools. The schools have organized over 8,000 migrant women workers to attend tutorial classes on labor protection laws and to attend reward tests. The other activities include: organized a forum for outstanding migrant women workers; conducted an investigation on the love and marriage problems of migrant women workers; organized various cultural activities; and provide consultant services for migrant women workers on troubles they have with economics, living and emotional life, and on child education and healthcare. These schools provide good conditions for migrant women to promote their quality and adapt to the new environment.

Internet Training of Rural Women Launched in Qingdao
　　To help rural women keep pace with the Internet era, the Qingdao Women's Federation cooperated with Qingdao Telecommunications Company to launch training of rural women on Internet knowledge. The aim of the training was to spread Internet knowledge among rural women and help them master skill to use Internet. The persons who launched this activity believe that when the Internet is widely used in agricultural production it will provide rural women with a new concept and new way of getting rich. In this way, the Internet will not only belong to urban women but also to women in rural areas.
　　The first batch of trainees received a two-day training. They studied how to log onto the Internet, E-commerce knowledge and how to make a web page. Under the guidance of their teachers, they also had hands-on practice on computers.

Hotline to Combat Domestic Violence Opened in Jiangxi
　　On November 25, 2001, the rights and interests department of the Jiangxi Women's Federation cooperated with the newspaper Family Today in opening a hotline to combat domestic violence and accept and hear women's complaints. Before this, on November 20, there was another activity to give publicity to fighting domestic violence: The Jiangxi Women's Federation and Nanchang Intermediate People's Court jointly set up a service center to provide women with a service for accessing bodily harm caused by domestic violence.
　　After the hotline was opened at three in the afternoon that day, constant calls poured in by people all over the province. In two hours, 15 of the calls were complaints for cases of domestic violence and marriage problems, among them were three male callers. Three persons came to the office of the hotline to submit complaints. Most of the callers said that after being hurt by their husbands they didn't receive effective helps.
　　According to the complaints the hotline received, domestic violence not only hurts women physically but also influences their own judgments as well as their appropriate understanding of the law and social justice. Out of various worries, some women dared not stand up against domestic violence by way of law, therefore making it difficult to settle the domestic violence happening in their family.
　　The hosts of the hotline gave lawful answers to the callers submitting complaints and requesting help. Meanwhile, they also educated the women callers to be brave in asking for help and to submit complaints to the relevant departments when being hurt by domestic violence; besides using the law to protect their legal rights and interests, they should also learn some ways to resist violence and to minimize possible harms.

"Social Gender, AIDS and Human Rights" Held in Guangzhou
　　United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Guangdong Women's Federation co-held a training class on "Social Gender, AIDS and Human Rights" in Guangzhou. About 60 people participated in the training, including personnel from medical, epidemic prevention and family planning systems, experts and scholars on gender study, relevant staff from the Guangdong Women's Federation, as well as journalists.
The sponsors of the training invited the social gender advisor from UNIFEM to teach the class. The teacher introduced trainees on information and knowledge about the means of spreading, harmful effects and developing trends of AIDS using extensive facts and statistics. After giving a gender analysis that shows that women are in worse conditions than men after getting infected with AIDS, the teacher stressed men's important roles and responsibilities in safe sex and the prevention of AIDS. The advisor also corrected the mistaken ideas that people have of AIDS and stressed that the governments should pay attention to controlling the spreading of AIDS by means of policy and law.
　　This training is part of the support project "enhance men's sense of responsibility, prevent the spread of AIDS in China," which UNIFEM carries out in Guangdong. In the near future, the sponsors of this training will also make an investigation into communities on the knowledge, attitudes and measures taken concerning "safe sex." Through this investigation, they can also get relevant information in communities concerning sex, and then draft appropriate intervening measures to enhance the communities' prevention ability against AIDS.