2007年VOA标准英语-African Divorcees Conquer Social Taboo

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
15 March 2007

In some parts of Africa, divorce is still considered a scandal. But, as more couples move to Africa's rapidly growing cities, divorce has become less of a cultural shock. Although female divorcees in rural communities may still suffer blame for a failed marriage, women are fighting back in cities and telling their side of the story. Reporter Phuong Tran has more from Dakar, in this fourth report in a five-part series on the changing African family.

 
Khadija Sall, 34-year-old businesswoman and divorcee
Senegalese Khadija Sall, 34, leans into the mirror and applies blue eye makeup¹ before clients arrive in the one-room salon² she has owned for nine years.

She works long hours here, something she says her ex-husband was never able to accept.

"If you have a wife who wants to work to help you and your children, you need to support her," she said. "If you do not have money, then give her encouragement. My husband did absolutely nothing to help me, nothing. Why would I put up with a man like that? I love my job and he did not understand that."

After 16 years of marriage, four children and a fast-growing business, Sall left her husband.

"I was sick of him, sick of our constant fighting," she explained. "Every day, our children had to watch us fight. I left him because I did not want my children to go through that."

 
Khadija Sall working in her beauty salon
She says she has to work longer hours now to support her children. However, she says she is happier, and free to do the job she loves.

"Women want to be independent," she said. "Every woman works, if she can. If you do not have a job, you need to depend on a man for money. And, we both know that men are cheap and do not want to give us money. Work is good. I love my job. I respect my job, because I respect myself. Do you understand?"

Sociologist³ Djiby Diakhate says communities have dramatically changed how they view divorce - especially in urban areas.

"Marriage has always been a sacred contract between two families," he noted⁴. "Now, with western concepts of individualism and personal liberty, it is more of a contract between two people. There is less family pressure to stay married, so divorced women are not looked down on, as before. Divorce is not only more common now, but also more accepted."

In the most recent Demographic Health Survey of Senegal's families, close to 300,000 women were divorced or separated in 2005.

A Senegalese woman who wants to divorce her husband needs to go to court, if her husband does not agree, whereas Islamic law in Senegal allows a man to divorce, regardless of what his wife says.

One of the 10 reasons women can file for divorce in court is if her husband is not able to support the family, financially.

 
Khadiya Sall's true love, her beauty salon
Sall prepares to close her beauty salon for the day.

When asked if she wants to marry again, she looks over her shop and its small piles of hair weaves, her receipt book of the day's earnings⁵ and tubs of leftover⁶ soapy water before she answers.

"Of course," she replies. She says when she meets a man who wants to encourage and help her with her work, she will marry him.

1 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

2 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

3 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

6 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。