Rural Chinese women living in abject poverty has been reduced to 12 million by the end of 2005, a sharp decline from around 35 million by late 1994, said a senior official with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

The group's deputy director Wang Guoliang made the remarks at a forum on gender, poverty alleviation and building of new socialist countryside held in Beijing.

Wang said women federations at all levels have funded with small loans to help poor women develop byworks and trained them practical techniques.

As a result, rural women are enjoying more education and employment opportunities and engaging in more social activities, he said.

Wang said China still need to do much more to guarantee the women's legitimate interests and rights, the girls' access to schooling as well as their equal participation in the policy making of public affairs.

The group's director Liu Jian said earlier this month that China had 23.65 million people living in dire need with per capita annual income below 683 yuan (85.4 U.S. dollars), which is merely 20 percent of the average annual income of the country's rural population.