VOA慢速英語:聯(lián)合國敦促非洲國家注意保護(hù)公民的性權(quán)利

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From VOA Learning English, this is As It Is.

Welcome back. I’m Caty Weaver.

On the show today we go to a conference inCameroon. Delegates are seeking an end to sexualabuse and the establishment of reproductive rights forall Africans.

Then we hear from survivors of acid attacks inPakistan. The attacks continue although there are lawsin place to prevent them.

African countries have been called upon to accept"sexual rights" as a basic right for all African people. These countries are also being asked to remove allbarriers that prevent women, girls and boys from having sexual rights.

Christopher Cruise has more.

Delegates at Conference Call for Sexual Rights for All Africans

About 550 people from 55 countries took part last week in the sixth AfricaConference on Sexual Health in Cameroon. Young people sang at theconference to draw attention to the problem of sexual violence. And they areasking their African leaders for help.

Among those singing is 18-year-old student Mbassi Antoinette. She attendsUniversity of Yaounde 1. She says her professor violated her sexual rights.

She says it started with the professor promising to help her. After that hestarted asking for sex. He told her that if she refused to have sex with him, hewould fail her on her exams.

Sexual violence and rape seems to be increasing in many parts of Africa. Ahmadou Bouba is a Cameroonian professor. He says a study he carried outshows surprising amounts of violence in Cameroon. He adds that thisviolence is one of the main barriers to quality education in Africa.

Mr. Bouba says that cases of sexual mistreatment have increased inuniversities. Male professors are sexually threatening more female students. He adds that in some cases, female professors sexually threaten malestudents.

A volunteer from Simelela teaches children how to protect themselves at a school in South Africa.

The U.N. Population Fund says Africa has more people under the age of 20than any place in the world. Fund officials estimate that the continent'spopulation is set to double to two billion by 2050.

However, Christine Boutegwa from Ghana says this economic development is at risk. She the legal systems in Africa do not protect the sexual andreproductive rights of these young people.

"They do not see adolescents as sexual beings. The policies that are thereare not right for boys and girls."

The conference representative from Uganda, Sarah Mokossa, says there is aculture of silence around sex and sexuality on the African continent.

"We still practice child marriage, we still practice female genital mutilation, westill view it as acceptable that young women and young men should not beeducated on their sexual and reproductive health and rights even though weknow that they are sexually active and that usually that sexual activity is notone of choice. It is one in which they are coerced by older men in the case ofyoung girls."

The situation is similar in Zimbabwe where laws are weak and do not punishthose who carry out sexual abuse, says Ndana Tawamba. Ms. Tawambarepresented Zimbabwe at the conference.

"The justice systems in the countries we are coming from are pretty muchlacking behind in terms of what it is that they can do in terms of seeing to it that those girls that are being married at early ages get the kind of recoursethat they deserve, getting the justice that they deserve after being rapedparticularly."

U.N. Population Fund Deputy Director Kate Gilmore spoke at the end of theconference. She called on African leaders to end all barriers that preventwomen, girls and boys from having a healthy sexual life with control over theirreproductive choices.

I’m Christopher Cruise.

A vicious form of punishment continues in Pakistan although the governmenthas enacted laws to stop it. Almost 150 acid attacks were reported to the AcidSurvivors Foundation in Pakistan last year.

VOA reporter Sharon Behn spoke to two victims in Islamabad. Caty Weaverhas her report.

Acid Attacks Threaten Mostly Females in Pakistan

Females represent sixty percent of the acid attack victims in Pakistan. NusratBibi is among them. Ms. Bibi’s brother refused to marry a member of herhusband’s family. She suffered the results of that decision. Her husbandpunished her by throwing acid on her.

Ms. Bibi was in a hospital for nine months and had 17 operations to rebuild herface and body.

Muhammad Hassan Mangi is the director of Pakistan’sMinistry of Law, Justice and Human Rights. He admitsthat more needs to be done about preventing acidattacks.

Women and girls are the most likely victims of acid attacks.

“You need to have such methods and things in practicethat you can express your, even, anger in a decentmanner. That has to be understood by society.”

Mohammed Farooq, a former member of the Pakistanimilitary, is another victim. He also was punished after refusing to marry awoman chosen for him. He dealt with severe pain, damage and depressionfollowing his attack.

“At first I was devastated. There was nothing left in my life. No past, no future, no present.”

But three years later, he is able to face the world again. Mr. Farooq dreams ofbeing an athlete. He wants to start bicycling again.

Valerie Khan leads the Acid Survivors Foundation in Islamabad. She sayschanging the way society judges acid attack victims is critical to their survival.

“It’s about rebuilding your mind, your self-esteem, and it’s about reclaimingyour space in the community and in the public space as a man, a woman,who deserves and will obtain and achieve respect and dignity again.”

Mohammed Farooq is no longer hiding his face. He is learning the art ofphotography. He is getting on with his life.

“My message to those that did this is that you tried your best to kill us, but wehave been saved. God willing, we will move on. Never lose hope. Be patient. This is a test of patience. God will reward us.”

And that’s As It Is for today. I’m Caty Weaver.

We want to know what you want to hear about on our show. Send an email [email protected]. Or go to our website atlearningenglish.voanews.com and click on Contact Us.

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