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美国之音特别英语（仿读） 2007-3-28 11:20:01 | This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
Seven women were honored last week in Washington for their efforts to expand
democracy and women's rights in their countries. The seven from China, Guatemala,
India and Sudan received awards from Vital Voices, a nonprofit group.
Among them was Chinese AIDS activist Gao Yaojie, an
eighty-year-old retired doctor. During the late nineteen
nineties, Doctor Gao discovered a public health crisis in
Henan province. Thousands of local farmers were being
infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. They were
selling their blood at collection centers that were using dirty
needles and recycled blood.
Doctor Gao was almost not able to travel to the United States
to receive the Vital Voices award. Local officials in Henan placed her under house
arrest. But they let her travel after her situation received international attention.
Vital Voices also honored three other Chinese women. Guo Jianmei has led efforts to
provide Chinese women with legal aid. Wang Xingjuan has created a telephone hotline
for women seeking advice about their rights and ways to improve their economic
situations. And Xie Lihua started Rural Women Knowing All magazine. She is also
secretary general of the Cultural Development Center for Rural Women.
Vital Voices also recognized Margaret Alva from India. She has been a government
minister and parliament member. She helped start a so-called "silent revolution" in an
effort to guarantee that women's voices are heard in Indian politics.
Award winner Maria Pacheco is from Guatemala. She has worked to help local women
start small businesses and connect with world markets.
The seventh women is Awut Deng Acuil, a leader in conflict
resolution in southern Sudan. She tells us that working for
Doctor Gao Yaojie
peace requires self-sacrifice. Becoming a victim does not give
you hope, she says; what does is turning that experience into
change for good.
Among those attending the ceremony was Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton, a Vital Voices board member.
Until now, Vital Voices has only honored women. But this year
it gave an award to Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. He
won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for starting the Grameen
Bank, a leader in micro-lending, giving small loans as a way to fight poverty. The bank
directs most of its services to women.
And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss. I'm
Steve Ember.
Awut Deng Acuil (left)
with Margaret Alva
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