VOA常速英语2007年-Sierra Leone Women Fight for More Representatio

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
27 December 2007

Women in Sierra Leone are trying to pass an amendment² to the constitution that would set aside 30 percent of all elected and appointed political positions for women. Today, women hold only 13 percent of legislative³ seats, and three of 20 ministerial positions. Naomi Schwarz has more from VOA's regional bureau in Dakar.

After seven years in politics, Diana Konomanyi is no stranger to the challenges that face women in her field.

"It has been very, very difficult, and I find that quite challenging. In our own society, women are meant to be in the kitchen. There is no way to allow a woman to stand in front of a man to take decisions and make decisions," she said.

Konomanyi is the regional chairperson for her party, the ruling All People's Congress, in the diamond-rich eastern province.

"I just thought they needed somebody that could stand out and speak for them. That is what actually pushed me into politics," added Konomanyi.

In her current position, Konomanyi is one of the most powerful people in her political party. At the APC political convention in 2004, she spoke⁴ on behalf of all the regional chairpersons, the first woman ever to do so.

She was a trailblazer as well, when she ran for local parliament.

"We had four candidates, and I was the only woman in my constituency," added Konomanyi.

But Konomanyi did not win the election. And in the 2007 elections, women won only 13 percent of legislative seats, a drop from the 14 percent of seats women won in 2002.

Women activists⁵ in Sierra Leone say this needs to change, soon.

"I think it will be to the interest of the nation to have 52 percent of their population represented adequately in positions of decision making. We believe that to assist or to increase the development of the country, if we had women well positioned, they would come in with new ideas that would help towards the development of the nation," said Harriet Turay, the president of Sierra Leone-based 50/50 Group, a women's organization that promotes gender⁶ parity⁷ for women in government.

Turay's organization led women's groups in petitioning the government to amend¹ the constitution to reserve at least 30 percent of appointed and elected political positions for women.

It would be part of a larger process in which the entire constitution is being updated. A specially⁸ created Constitutional Review Committee is expected to give its recommendations to President Ernest Bai Koroma early next year.

Turay says the idea of a 30 percent quota⁹ comes from the post-conflict Truth and Reconciliation¹⁰ Commission. She says similar quotas¹¹ have been used successfully elsewhere in Africa, such as in Tanzania and South Africa.

But Turay says she is not confident the amendment will be adopted.

"Disappointingly, I do not believe we will be able to have the 30 percent included in the constitution. Because they have come up with reasons why they cannot have it there. But that is just the beginning of things," she continued.

She says the government has promised to implement¹² all Truth and Reconciliation recommendations, so she hopes, even if the amendment does not pass, the quota will still happen.

Ruling party organizing secretary Alimamy Koroma says he does not believe a constitutional quota is the best way to increase women's participation¹³ in government.

"The point of issue for me is to let women take the courage and come out and let the menfolk create that space, that opportunity. Not by the constitution, but by way of practice, it is more lasting¹⁴ that way," he said.

Sierra Leone has signed several international agreements that commit countries to eradicating¹⁵ discrimination against women and establishing targets for women in government.

The country is still recovering from a decade-long devastating¹⁶ civil war, during which women were raped¹⁷, beaten and enslaved.

Neighboring Liberia, also recovering from a brutal¹⁸ civil war, made history when it became the first African county to elect a woman president, in 2005.

1 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 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》

6 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

7 parity   

n.平价，等价，比价，对等

参考例句：

• The two currencies have now reached parity.这两种货币现已达到同等价值。
• Women have yet to achieve wage or occupational parity in many fields.女性在很多领域还没能争取到薪金、职位方面的平等。

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

10 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

11 quotas   

（正式限定的）定量( quota的名词复数 )； 定额； 指标； 摊派

参考例句：

• In fulfilling the production quotas, John made rings round all his fellow workers. 约翰完成生产定额大大超过他的同事们。
• Quotas of the means of production are allocated by the higher administrative bodies to the lower ones. 物资指标按隶属关系分配。

12 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。

13 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

14 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

15 eradicating   

摧毁，完全根除( eradicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective: To study the acute and chronic toxicity of Ten-flavor-acne eradicating-capsule. 目的：探讨复方中药合剂十味平痤胶囊的急性及慢性毒性。
• We are on the verge of eradicating polio in the world. 我们已在世界消除小儿？痹症的边缘了。

16 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

17 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

18 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。