Historically, men's and women's roles in China have been highly structured. The People's Republic of China has stressed the importance of women overcoming historical oppression and has adopted policies aimed at emancipating women. When the Chinese Communist Party took control of China in 1949, the new government clearly stated the importance of improving women's place in society. The traditional view of women's roles still exerts power on contemporary society. Government policies addressing inequities have included the Marriage Law, collectivization of tasks which tied women to the home, and re-education of family members in an attempt to equalize domestic tasks within households. Equal pay is mandated by law, but the extent to which this is enforced is debatable. Although constituting a significant part of the labor force, women are not proportionately represented in the professions. In contrast to the United States, the Chinese strategy for promoting equality for women has been spearheaded by the government. Propaganda and ideological dialogue have been used to promote change. These strategies while perhaps not sufficient in the shortrun, may be necessary for lasting change. (ABL)