英语听力精选进阶版 13885

New protection for Nepalese women

Summary

13 August 2012

The government in Nepal says it's banning women under the age of 30 from going to work in Middle Eastern countries. The move comes after growing concerns about the exploitation of young women employed there.

Reporter:

Jill McGivering

Report

Officially almost 60,000 Nepalese women are now working in the Middle East but the unofficial estimate is closer to 200,000. Many of them are under 30 years old and will be directly affected¹ by the new ban. 

The government's been under growing pressure to do more to protect its workers. Women employed in the informal sector² as part of a household are very vulnerable. Nepal's Embassies in the region say they deal with numerous cases of alleged³ physical or sexual abuse, as well as complaints about unpaid⁴ wages and terrible conditions. 

Many run safe houses to support women who flee their employer's homes. It's only 18 months since the government ended a 12-year ban on all women workers to the Gulf⁵. That was imposed after a young woman working in Kuwait committed suicide. Now they're adopting this partial ban in the hope that older women might be less at risk. Nepal has a high unemployment rate and the government is trying to strike a balance between protection and allowing women to pursue opportunities. 

Other countries face the same dilemma⁶. Two months ago, Kenya banned its citizens from working in the Middle East because, it said, increasing numbers were being mistreated. Last year, Indonesia introduced a ban on women working as maids in the region. That followed numerous cases of abuse and the execution of an Indonesian maid who was accused of killing⁷ her former employer.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。