IN THE NEWS - More Women Become National Leaders; When Will

IN THE NEWS - More Women Become National Leaders; When Will the U.S. Follow?
By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Saturday, November 19, 2005

I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

More women are becoming national leaders. The newest include Angela Merkel. She is expected to become the first female chancellor¹ of Germany on Tuesday. Germany has the biggest economy in Europe.

And, in Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has claimed victory as the first woman elected president of an African nation. She had almost sixty percent of the final ballot² count after the vote on November eighth. Her opponent, former soccer star George Weah, disputes the results. But international observers say the election was generally free and fair.

 
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf studied at Harvard University in the United States and was an economist³ at the World Bank.

Around the world, in the past one hundred years, fewer than fifty women have served as heads of state.

A young Danish man named Martin Christensen has put together an extensive Web site called guide2womenleaders dot com. That's g-u-i-d-e-the number two-womenleaders.

It says Sirivamo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the first female prime minister in modern times in nineteen sixty. Isabel Peron of Argentina became the first woman president in nineteen seventy-four.

But, in Mongolia, Suhbaataryn Yanjmaa had served as acting⁴ head of state from nineteen fifty-three to nineteen fifty-four. And Song Qingling was acting head of state in China from nineteen sixty-eight to 'seventy-two.

Other national leaders in the twentieth century included Indira Gandhi of India, Golda Meir of Israel and Margaret Thatcher⁵ of Britain.

Michael Genovese is editor of the book "Women as National Leaders." He says almost thirty women have become heads of state since nineteen ninety.

They include presidents Mary McAleese of Ireland, Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia and Tarja Halonen of Finland. They also include President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines, and prime ministers Helen Clark of New Zealand and Begum Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh.

American women have been politically active for many years, but they hold only about fifteen percent of government positions. Geraldine Ferraro was a Democratic candidate for vice⁷ president in nineteen eighty-four. But the United States has never had a woman president or vice president.

Many political scientists think Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has a good chance to become president in the near future. The wife of former president Bill Clinton is a Democrat⁶. Other people think Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would make a good Republican president or vice president.

Some national leaders are not elected but are born into royal families. This week, one member of a royal family, Princess Sayako of Japan, lost her place when she married a commoner.

Japanese law does not permit a female emperor. But things could change. Crown Prince Naruhito has only one child, a little girl. Princess Aiko will be four years old on December first.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Nancy Steinbach.  I'm Steve Ember.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。