领导人与活动人士发起运动打击南苏丹性暴力

Leaders, Activists² Launch Campaigns to End Sexual Violence in South Sudan 领导人与活动人士发起运动打击南苏丹性暴力

Many cases of rape³ are reported in the world’s newest country, South Sudan.

Government forces, unidentified armed groups, and rebel fighters are suspected of these crimes. Yet not one individual has been arrested or sentenced to prison for rape this year.

That information comes from the Voice of America (VOA) program South Sudan in Focus. South Sudan in Focus is a joint⁴ effort of VOA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

On Wednesday, a top African Union (AU) official made an appeal to South Sudan’s government. Bineta Diop called on government officials to arrest and punish soldiers who sexually abused women during the three years of conflict in the country. She said punishing those responsible for sexual abuse against women will guarantee security and self-respect for South Sudanese women.

Diop is the AU’s Special Envoy⁵ for Women, Peace and Security. She met this week with South Sudan’s Minister of Gender⁶, Child and Social Welfare, women activists and others in the city of Juba. They talked about how women’s rights can be protected in South Sudan, despite ongoing⁷ fighting.

Diop said the AU has launched a campaign aimed at reestablishing the dignity of women in South Sudan.

The chairperson of the AU Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is directing the campaign. She is a former wife of Jacob Zuma, South Africa's president.

“It’s time for us to silence the guns in South Sudan,” Dlamini Zuma said. “It’s time for us to restore peace in this country,” but especially to bring back “the dignity of women in South Sudan.”

16-day campaign against sexual violence

Bineta Diop called on national, state, and local officials across South Sudan to enforce the law and arrest and punish criminals who violate women’s rights.She said that the African Union stands firmly with South Sudanese women who launched 16 days of activism against sexual violence. She said the AU wants women to have a say in finding solutions to the country’s widespread problem of sexual abuse.

In Imatong state, women’s rights activists have been using the 16-day program to talk directly to men about sexual violence.

They are also campaigning for more women to be appointed to local and state government positions. They say women serving in these positions can influence decisions and policies.

The activists say the reason rapists are not punished is because men control decision-making positions. And, the men do not arrest other men for crimes like rape.

High-ranking women seen as key

Imatong state lawmaker and activist¹ Angela Achiro said women must hold office at all levels of government.

“For instance, at the county level, we would like to see a female commissioner⁸. In Imotong state, we have 12 counties, but no woman is appointed county commissioner," she said.

Achiro said women employed in the military or police are only offered jobs as office cleaners, tea makers⁹ and messengers, while uneducated men are given higher positions.

Achiro also said if a woman headed the army, she would enforce the law and prevent government soldiers and rebel forces from raping¹⁰ women.

Davidika Ikai heads an organization called Itwak. She said having women in high local and state positions will help ensure that girls are registered in school and stay there. She believes that educating girls is the only thing that will end sexual violence in South Sudan.

‘A lot more needs to be done’

Mary Cummins heads the office of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS. She said dealing¹¹ with the problem of sexual violence will be a long and difficult process.

"A lot more needs to be done,” Cummins said. It is very hard work for women to succeed in a male-controlled society, she added.

There have been an average of 30 rape cases per month this year, and those are only the ones that are reported.

Many South Sudanese women do not report a sex attack because they do not want to be rejected by their communities.

Jacob Atari, Imatong state Education, Gender and Social Welfare Minister, said there is a need to get many organized forces involved, “especially soldiers and some men, so that we can talk about these things…to the people who are violating it.”

Words in This Story

gender - n. the state of being male or female

welfare - n. the state of being happy, healthy, or successful

dignity - n. the quality of being worthy of honor or respect

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

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 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

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 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

9 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

11 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。