環(huán)球英語 1420 Freedom Without Fear
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Robin Basselin.
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And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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It is December 22nd, 2012. A large group of people are gathered together. They are in the city of New Delhi, in Northern India. Many men and women are marching down the street. They are protesting. They are holding signs and shouting. They are saying “We want justice.” Many police officers surround the crowd. They are holding weapons – like containers of tear gas and sticks. Everyone is tense.
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One protestor’s sign says, “No more violence against women!” Another sign says, “Stop this shame!” This crowd is protesting a recent, violent attack in New Delhi. During the attack, 6 young men viciously gang raped a young woman. They beat her and forced her to have sex. The attack was so severe that the young woman later died from her injuries. Today’s Spotlight is on the New Delhi gang rape protests and their efforts to end violence against women in India!
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The victim of the New Delhi gang rape was a university student. She was the oldest of three children. She loved studying. She planned to become a physical therapist - a medical worker that helps people recover from injuries. She hoped to get a job and pay for her two brothers’ educations.
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On December 16th, 2012, the young woman went to see a film. She was with a male friend. After the film, she and her friend got on a bus to go home. The driver and six other young men were on the bus. They had been drinking too much alcohol. They were drunk. They separated her from her friend. They beat her friend. Then they raped and beat her. After the attack was over, they threw the young woman and her friend onto the street. The young woman was severely injured from the attack. Doctors operated on her. But they could not repair the damage. On, December 29th, the young woman died.
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This horrible attack angered many people in New Delhi. Thousands of people reacted by protesting for many weeks. The protesters demanded changes to sexual violence and rape laws in India. They wanted officials to change the laws to be clear. They also wanted faster justice for rape victims. They wanted rape cases to reach the courts more quickly.
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But the protests were not just protesting to change laws. People also wanted to spread knowledge about the problem of violence against women. Many women in India believe the problem is not just a problem of bad laws. They believe that part of the problem is social - that society often accepts violence against women.
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Ankita Cheerakathil is a 20 year old woman. She was one of the New Delhi protesters. She told the New York Times newspaper that women in India often suffer harassment in public. They are treated badly because they are women. She said this about the New Delhi attack,
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“This is not one, unusual incident…This is the story of every Indian woman.”
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Many women experience different kinds of sexual harassment. In India, there is a common form of this negative behavior. It is called “eve-teasing.” When a man eve-teases a woman, he often shouts sexual words at her. This makes it very difficult for many women to feel safe. Women fear that eve-teasing might lead to a sexual attack.
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New Delhi is one of India’s most violent cities. In 2012, women reported more than 600 rapes. And eve-teasing is a major problem. Chitragnada Singh is an Indian film actor. She told the Times of India news organization:
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“Delhi is very violent and unsafe for women. … When I was in Delhi, travelling in public transport was very unsafe. I have been eve-teased a great number of times. It is very normal there. Sometimes, it gets very frightening. I remember one car with black windows. It would drive near us and slow down while we walked to the place where we were staying. So, we would start walking faster. Once, the car came even closer. Somebody opened the door and we started running.”
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Some women have developed ways to try to avoid eve-teasing and attacks. They do not go out alone after dark. They travel with friends. They choose their clothing very carefully. And they do not react to eve-teasing. However, even these things do to always stop attacks. And many people think women should not have to be so careful.
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Kavita Krishnan is the secretary for the All India Progressive Women’s Association. She gave a speech at one of the protests in New Delhi. In it, she said,
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“If a woman walks on the streets alone, even if it is late at night, why should she need an excuse for it? … If she just wants to go…for a walk - is this a crime?…We believe it does not matter if a woman is in her home or out on the street. It does not matter if it is day or night. It does not matter what kind of clothes she wears. A woman has a right to freedom - freedom without fear. This is what we need to protect, to guard, and respect.”
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Most of the New Delhi protests were peaceful. But there was still conflict. The government tried to stop the protests. This angered the people. One of the protesters, Abhijit Sarkar, told the New York Times newspaper:
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“I am beginning to feel that my government does not understand the situation. They cannot solve it. During a candlelight prayer gathering, police even laughed at us.”
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However, the protests have produced much good change. As a result, the government moved quickly to arrest the New Delhi gang rape attackers. And the courts are already trying their case. The government also formed a small group of legal officials to review India’s rape laws. Many of the protesters hope that the government will act on the group’s legal recommendations.
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The protests and changes in India are also helping to make changes around the world. Women in every country suffer from fear of sexual harassment, violence and rape. It is a problem from the United States to Brazil to Kenya to China. And protests like the ones in New Delhi, India help women around the world. The protesters remind women that they are not alone. And they give us all hope in the global fight to end violence against women.
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The writer and producer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again and read it on the internet at https://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, “Freedom Without Fear.”
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We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
