IN April of 1994, the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) sent 15 cadres to poor areas in Guizhou, Yunnan and Gansu provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regions to make on-the-spot investigations. They visited 105 rural households in 30 villages of 11 counties. They found that over 80 percent of the rural households in these IN April of 1994, the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) sent 15 cadres to poor areas in Guizhou, Yunnan and Gansu provinces, and Guangxi Zhuang and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regions to make on-the-spot investigations. They visited 105 rural households in 30 villages of 11 counties. They found that over 80 percent of the rural households in these