Sex education shall be conducted to young women from rural areas working in cities, said Mo Wenxiu, vice president of the All-China Women's Federation.

Many women, working in cities far from home, are young and lonely, thus they are eager to fall into a relationship, Mo said.

Under such circumstances, they may have emotional troubles and have sex easily with someone. As a result, they have to suffer pregnancy and abortion and are hurt both physically and mentally, Mo said.

"We should help them understand themselves better and live a good life," said the vice president, noting that some young female migrant workers have low awareness of their own health.

According to Mo, the federation is engaged in legislation to ensure the legal protection of female workers' rights. "Relevant legal articles shall be written into pamphlets distributed to these women," she said.

Meanwhile, a hotline numbered 12338 has been opened to female migrant workers.

China has about 120 million migrant workers. A survey by the Ministry of Agriculture showed that about 30 percent of them are women.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2007)