IN THE NEWS - Global Summit of Women

By Cynthia Kirk
IN THE NEWS -July 20, 2002: Global Summit¹ of Women

This is Bob Doughty² with the VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS.

About six-hundred business, professional and governmental leaders gathered in
Barcelona, Spain, last week for the Global Summit of Women. The three-day
meeting dealt with economic development for women around the world.

The Global Summit of Women brought together women from more than seventy
countries. The largest delegations³ this year were from Spain, the United States and
Kazakhstan.

Several governments sent trade officials to the summit, including the United States,
Iceland and Canada. The American group was led by Assistant Secretary of Commerce Maria Cino (SEE-no).
Female business leaders and government officials spoke⁴ at the meeting. They included vice⁵ presidents, deputy⁶
prime ministers and ministers of employment, science and technology from several countries.

The Global Summit of Women began in nineteen-ninety. It has been held every year since nineteen-ninety-seven.
The majority of women attending the meeting are owners of small businesses. The meeting offers women a
chance to increase business and professional relationships and to exchange ideas. It aims to increase women’
s
economic progress even though there are cultural barriers in many countries.

The summit dealt with problems that women face in starting or expanding businesses. It provided information in
many areas. For example, the meeting provided information about doing business on the Internet computer
system and developing effective Web sites. The women also discussed how to get financial support for business
owners and form important business alliances⁷.

Other issues included how health crises⁸ and environmental concerns influence business. The women discussed
how to turn traditional activities into successful modern businesses. And they also discussed how women can
balance many concerns in their lives, including work, family and health.

The director of the Global Summit of Women is Irene Natividad of the United States. Mizz Natividad says in
Europe, Canada and the United States, at least one-third of all small and medium-size businesses are now owned
by women. And she says eighty percent of small businesses in developing countries are owned and led by
women. Mizz Natividad says small businesses are an important part of every free market economy.

Mizz Natividad says women are also an important part of every economy. Yet she says many businesses fail to
recognize the importance of women. She says women must do more to gain economic equality.

She also called on women to do more to improve the education of girls and women around the world, especially
in science and math. She says this is important for the new world economy.

This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Bob Doughty.

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1 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

2 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

3 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

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 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。

6 deputy   

n.代理人，代表，副职；adj.代理的，副的

参考例句：

• John will act as a deputy for me during my absence.我离开期间，约翰将代理我的职务。
• She is the deputy headmistress of the school.她是那所学校的代理校长。

7 alliances   

（国家、政党等的）结盟( alliance的名词复数 )； 同盟国； 结盟的社会； 联姻

参考例句：

• Our alliances will be sundered if they appear as obstacles to peace. 我们的同盟如果成为和平的障碍，就会瓦解。
• Inevitably this produced a challenge to our previous predominance in our alliances. 这不可避免地形成了对我们从前在联盟中的支配地位的挑战。

8 crises   

n. 危机；危险期

参考例句：

• Economic crises recur periodically. 经济危机周期性地发生。
• Great crises often call forth gifted leaders. 危急存亡之际常能产生天才的领袖。