DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Lack of Hope Blamed as Some Afghan Wome

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Lack of Hope Blamed as Some Afghan Women Choose Death by Fire
By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: Monday, March 29, 2004

This is Robert Cohen with the VOA Special English Development Report.

Reports from western Afghanistan say at least fifty young women have killed themselves in recent months. In each case, they set themselves on fire.

 
Hamid Karzai 
Poverty, forced marriage, limited rights to education, violence against women, a sense of hopelessness. These are all given as reasons for an increase in cases of self-immolation. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has sent a delegation² to Herat province to investigate.

Medica Mondiale is a German-based organization that supports women and girls in crisis situations. The group has started to organize projects in Kabul and Herat in an effort to improve the lives of women. It says many do not believe their lives have improved since the ouster of the Taleban more than two years ago.

The Islamic Taleban group ruled Afghanistan for five years. Women could not work or study. They could not leave their homes unless they had a male with them. And they were forced to wear a cloth burqa that covered all of their body.

American-led forces began a campaign in October of two-thousand-one to oust³ the Taleban and to attack al-Qaida bases in Afghanistan. This followed the September eleventh terrorist attacks by the al-Qaida group on the United States.

With the Taleban out of power, women regained⁴ their right to work and study. But Medica Mondiale says many still face oppression in parts of the country. Tribal⁵ leaders control these areas.

In January of this year, delegates at a traditional meeting called a Loya Jirga approved a new constitution for Afghanistan. The document guarantees equal rights for women. It also guarantees a strong representation of women in the future parliament. Women's Affairs Minister Habiba Sarabi says she plans to set up family courts. She also plans to open centers to assist women around the country.

The governor of Herat, Ismail Khan, recently launched a media campaign to urge women to seek help. Husbands are also urged to show more consideration toward their wives.

Human rights experts note that social changes can take many years, especially in conservative societies. They say a good place to start is to teach females to understand their rights. But they say even more important is that males must also understand those rights.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss. This is Robert Cohen.

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

3 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

4 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。