Conference in Kenya Pushes for Global Ban on Female Genital

 

By Cathy Majtenyi

An international conference to press for the eradication¹ of female genital mutilation in Africa and around the world opened in Kenya Thursday.

"In the morning, I was dragged and pinned on the ground, when three women sat and crucified me on the floor. I cried 'tilI had no voice. The only thing I said was, 'mom, where are you?' And the only answer I got was, 'quiet, quiet girl.' My dear parent, is this what I really deserve? I'm asking all of you in this hall, is this really what girls deserve?"

13-year-old, Kenyan schoolgirl Fazia Hassan told the ambassadors, activists², health workers, policy-makers and others gathered for the three-day conference what it is like to be forcibly circumcised at the age of 11.

The African and European speakers who followed her at the opening session stressed that female genital mutilation is a human rights violation³ that goes against international conventions, and must be made illegal everywhere.

The practice, in which part, or all, of a girl's or woman's genitalia are removed, is usually performed as a rite⁴ of passage into adulthood⁵ and a pre-requisite for marriage.

A goodwill⁶ ambassador to the United Nations, Somali fashion model Waris Dirie, said female genital mutilation, or FGM, has often been associated with culture and religion, but in reality is a widespread sign of women's greater economic, social and political repression⁷.

"The U.N. estimate[s] that two million girls are mutilated every year in Africa," said Ms. Dirie. "That means, only today, 6,000 girls have to undergo this crime practice, 6,000 tomorrow, and 6,000 lives are ruined day by day. Let me be very clear on this: FGM is not tradition; FGM is not cultural; FGM has nothing to do with religion; FGM is nothing but a crime."

Kenyan Minister of Home Affairs Linah Kilimo said that, in Kenya, about 38 percent of Kenyan women have undergone the procedure. She said, in some rural areas, or among particular ethnic⁸ groups, up to 90 percent of women are cut.

Age-old practices and beliefs are hard to change, and, as Ms. Kilimo says, those attempting to do so often meet with great resistance, in Kenya and elsewhere.

"Indeed, it appears that politicians fear losing votes as a result," she said. "Indeed, those who speak against F.G.M. risk isolation⁹ by their peers."

The three-day conference is sponsored by the Kenyan government and an international advocacy group called, No Peace Without Justice.

Organizers say the purpose of the gathering¹⁰ is to come up with ways to implement¹¹ an African Union protocol¹², adopted in 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique, which, among other things, outlaws¹³ all forms of female genital mutilation.

Many of the African Union's 53 member-states are in the process of signing the protocol.

Cathy Majtenyi for VOA News, Nairobi.

注释：
eradication 根除
mutilation 切断
crucify 折磨
ambassador 大使
circumcise 割阴蒂
pre-requisite 必须的
undergo 遭受
ethnic 种族的
Maputo 马普托
Mozambique 莫桑比克

1 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

4 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

5 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

6 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

7 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

12 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

13 outlaws   

歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯

参考例句：

• During his year in the forest, Robin met many other outlaws. 在森林里的一年，罗宾遇见其他许多绿林大盗。
• I didn't have to leave the country or fight outlaws. 我不必离开自己的国家，也不必与不法分子斗争。