VOA标准英语2010年-Informal Cross-Border Traders Reduce P

Zimbabwean women carry groceries as they walk towards the Beitbridge Border Post after their shopping trips in Musina, South Africa (2008 file photo)

Informal cross-border trade contributes significantly to the economies of southern African nations - about $17.6 billion a year - and helps reduce poverty.  But a group of researchers who met recently in South Africa say informal traders face many threats. 

Charity Mandishona was once a teacher in Zimbabwe.  But she left the profession years ago when hyperinflation destroyed her salary's buying power.  She says she and her husband, a former miner, ran a bar for a while, but it was destroyed by police five years ago in a major clean-up operation.

Mandishona now supports her family by selling Zimbabwean handcrafts in neighboring countries.

"At the moment with the economic situation, cross-border trading is much better because at least I can sustain the family and I can have a decent life," she said.

Mandishona was speaking at a recent workshop in Pretoria sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM.

UNIFEM Director for Southern Africa Nomcebo Manzini notes a recent survey of more than 700 informal cross-border traders in the region shows that trade contributes significantly to the number-one Millennium¹ Goal, reducing poverty.

"Sub-Saharan Africa is probably going to be one of those regions of the world where poverty, instead of going down, is actually going to escalate².  So this work is particularly relevant in terms of ensuring that poverty is reduced in our sub-region," said Manzini.

She noted³ the trade is dominated by women, and as a result it could also help achieve another Millennium Goal, reducing gender⁴ inequality.

A Zimbabwean contributor to the survey, Joyce Malaba, told the gathering⁵ that informal cross-border trade is attractive to many, but carries many risks especially as they travel.

"Transport problems included taking too long, high cost of transport, accidents, loss of goods and cash through theft, general harassment⁷ and sexual harassment," she said.

Malaba says some women surveyed said they were obliged to trade sexual favors for safe accommodation. And informal traders of both sexes faced harassment and theft of their goods by local police, border guards and other officials during their trips.

They also face stiff competition from more established merchants who undercut their prices by importing cheap goods in bulk from Asia.

Another survey contributor, University of Swaziland Professor Winnie Madonsela, said there are very few civic⁸ groups supporting informal traders.

"There are couple of things that they [civic groups] could do, for example trying to help them [traders] with finding markets, and also to try and help them improve the quality of their wares," said Madonsela.

UNIFEM says informal cross-border trade accounts for one-third of all trade between members of the Southern African Development Community, but it is hardly recognized by SADC and other regional integration⁹ organizations.

Trader Mandishona said the groups and their member-governments need to recognize the trade contributes significantly to their gross domestic products.

"We want them to recognize that the informal traders contribute to the GDP and also to put legal frameworks which protect the cross-border traders," she said.

She says governments should punish officials who harass⁶ traders and should provide safe-houses where they can rest in security.  She also wants the governments to create micro-finance institutions to provide long-term loans for informal traders.

Finally UNIFEM officials advocate the creation of associations to press governments in the region to recognize informal cross-border traders and protect their rights. 

 

1 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

2 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 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。

5 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。

6 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

7 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

8 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

9 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。