Shanghai has more female cadres today than ever before, and the health of women and children has improved, officials yesterday told the 2nd Conference on Women and Children in Shanghai.

Still, only three new works for children were produced in 2004 - a sign there is much to be done in fully caring for children; the number of books, TV series and films for children actually declined dramatically in 2004.

"Generally speaking, the status of women and children in Shanghai has improved during the country's Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005)," said Yan Junqi, vice mayor and director of the Shanghai Women and Children Committee.

The average life expectancy for Shanghai women is on the rise. The age 82.48 life expectancy is at the advanced level of the country and the health conditions of women and children always meet the average standards of developed countries, Yan said.

In 2004, infant mortality was 3.78 per one thousand and only 10.79 of the city's 100,000 pregnant women died.

The rate of working women never dropped below 40 percent, Yan also pointed out, adding that 41.8 percent of the cadres in the city were women by the end of 2004.

"The development of women's careers is an important symbol of social civilization and advancement," Mayor Han Zheng told the conference.

The city has also seen the situation of children improving, especially for handicapped children. Almost 100 percent of children receive compulsory education, including the handicapped. Despite the progress, there are problems. The juvenile crime rate in 2004 was 47 percent higher than in 2003.

And the rate of women infected by AIDS was also 69.7 percent higher than in 2003.

(Shanghai Daily September 12, 2005)