The education and care of children left in their hometowns is the biggest worry of China's 50 million rural migrant women workers, according to a survey by the All-China Women's Federation.

 

More than 60 percent of the 1,000 women interviewed said they were worried about their children's education and almost 40 percent chose to take their children with them to urban areas.

 

China has an estimated 150 million migrant workers, 30 percent of them women. About 14.6 million children of school age and under 14 years old accompanied their rural parents to cities.

 

Most or 87.3 percent of the children left behind reunited with their parents at least once a year, but 12. 7 percent saw their parents only once every one to two years.

 

More than 70 percent of those surveyed said working in cities boosted their economic well-being and more than 40 percent of the family income came from working in cities.

 

Last year, 51.6 percent of women remitted money back home at 4,994 yuan (US$624.25) per person on average.

 

They wanted the elimination of the dual rural-urban residence registration system, more vocational training and special agencies to safeguard their rights and interests.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2006)