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索马里将禁止女性生殖器割礼

Hope at last for girls in Somalia as the government signals its intentions to ban female genital mutilation, a brutal¹ practice girls in Somalia have been forced to undergo for years.

长久以来，索马里的女孩被迫接受生殖器割礼，这是一种有生命危险的残酷行为。可是,如果政府的一项新法律如果得到通过，那么从事女性割礼的人将会受到刑事起诉。

If the new law is enacted², those found practicing the act would face criminal charges.

索马里的女孩终于有了希望，政府表示，要禁止索马里长期实行的女性生殖器割礼(FGM)的残酷习俗。

The practice, which has life-threatening side effects, is very popular in many African and Middle East countries. According to figures by the United Nations Childrens Fund, female genital mutilation in Somalia alone stands at 98 percent.

很多非洲和中东国家都盛行这种做法，据联合国儿童基金会数据显示，仅仅在索马里，被迫接受女性生殖器割礼的女孩占全球受害者的98%。

Among its effects are lifelong pain, infections, infertility³ and difficulties during childbirth.

这种做法的后果包括终生痛苦以及感染、不育和难产。

“In the past when girls were subjected to FGM, it used to be something the society was proud of, but it's no longer the same," said Samatar. "People shy from being associated with FGM. Now, when parents want their daughters to undergo FGM, they opt⁴ for underground avenues rather than public. That’s a clear indicator⁵ that the number of cases has drastically reduced.”

索马里妇女事务部长扎拉·萨马塔尔说：“过去，女孩被迫接受割礼被社会看作是值得骄傲的事，可是现在不同了，人们羞于和女性生殖器割礼联系在一起，现在父母要他们的女儿接受割礼时，他们选择偷偷地，而不是公开地做，这是割礼数量大减的一个明显指标。”

Now the government is creating a clear policy that will end the practice.

现在为了结束这种习俗，索马里政府正在制定一项明确政策。

Religious leaders, community heads and the country’s lawmakers are considering legislation initiated⁶ by the Ministry⁷ of Women.

宗教领袖、社区负责人和国家立法者正在考虑妇女事务部提出的法案。

Once the law comes into use, those found practicing the act would be arrested.

这项法案一旦通过，那些从事这种行为的人将遭到逮捕。

“To all those who practice FGM, we have seen the effect it has," said Samatar. "This practice has to come to and end. The ministry is also working on establishing a law to ban FGM. If anyone will be found practicing this culture, they will be arrested by the government”.

萨马塔尔说：“我要告诉所有那些从事女性生殖器割礼的人,我们已经看到了它的后果。这种做法必须停止。妇女事务部正在制定一项法律，禁止女性生殖器割礼，如果有任何人被发现从事这项活动，将被政府逮捕。”

Experts say a community mobilization effort will help end the practice and raise awareness⁸ of the law in a country where the practice of female genital mutilation is almost universal.

专家说，这种习俗几乎普及索马里，如果把社区动员起来，将有助于结束陋习，提高民众意识。

The practice has been outlawed⁹ in 18 other African countries.

非洲有18个国家已经取缔了这种做法。

Experts say eradicating¹⁰ the brutal practice in Somalia will take time. But banning it is a major step to ensuring that Somali girls will have a normal life in the future.

专家指出，在索马里根除这种残酷行为还需要时间，可是立法取缔是确保索马里女孩未来享受正常生活的重要步骤。