Five Women Honored in Washington for Global Leadership

Five Women Honored in Washington for Global Leadership
Vital Voices, a nonprofit, presented awards to women from Argentina, Burma, France, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. Transcript of radio broadcast:
13 April 2008

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Five women were honored last week in Washington for their efforts to increase the economic and political progress of women. Vital Voices, an international nonprofit organization, presented its Global Leadership Awards to the winners from Argentina, Burma, France, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates.

Laura Alonso heads a group in Argentina called Poder Ciudadano, or Citizen Power. Its members work to make the government more open. They investigate corruption, observe elections and watch for government influence over the media. They also educate citizens about their rights.

Burmese activist Charm Tong received Vital Voices' human rights award, presented by first lady Laura Bush. Charm Tong co-founded the Shan Women’s Action Network. In a report six years ago, the group detailed how the Burmese military uses rape as a weapon against women and girls. Charm Tong also helped establish a school for ethnic Shan young people whose families live in exile in Thailand.

Author and journalist Mariane Pearl of France was recognized for writing about women who work for change in their countries. She also wrote a book about the death of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. He was kidnapped and killed in Pakistan in two thousand two. Actress and activist Angelina Jolie presented the award; she played Mariane Pearl in the film version of the book.


Another winner, Kakenya Ntaiya of Kenya, travels widely as the first youth adviser to the United Nations Population Fund. She speaks about girls' education as a way to end child marriage and the painful custom in some cultures of cutting the sex organs of girls.
She agreed to follow this tradition if her father would let her finish high school instead of getting married. Then she persuaded leaders in her rural village to help send her to college in the United States. Kakenya Ntaiya expects to receive a doctorate in education next year. She plans to return to Kenya to establish a school for girls.

The final winner was Sheikha Lubna al-Qasimi in the United Arab Emirates. In two thousand four she became the first woman appointed as a finance minister in the Middle East. Now she heads a newly formed ministry of foreign trade. She is also a businesswoman and works with information technology.

And that’s the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss.

----------------------------Google Translate

五女荣幸在华盛顿的全球领导
重要声音，一个非营利机构，为获奖妇女分别来自阿根廷，缅甸，法国，肯尼亚和阿拉伯联合酋长国。全文电台广播：
2008年4月13日

这是美国之音特别英语的发展报告。

五女荣幸上星期在华盛顿所作的努力，以增加经济和政治上的进步，妇女地位的提高。重要声音，是一个非盈利性国际组织，介绍了其全球领导地位，颁奖给得奖者分别来自阿根廷，缅甸，法国，肯尼亚和阿拉伯联合酋长国。

劳拉阿隆索元首一组，在阿根廷的所谓权力的ciudadano ，或公民的权力。其成员的工作，使政府更加开放。他们调查贪污，观察选举和观赏为政府的影响力媒体。他们还教育公民自己的权利。

缅甸活动家魅力塘收到重要声音'人权奖，由第一夫人劳拉。魅力堂共同成立掸族妇女行动网络。在一份研究报告中，六年前，该组详细介绍了如何缅甸军利用强奸作为一种武器，对妇女和女童。魅力塘还帮助建立了一所学校，为民族山年轻人，他们的家人生活在流亡泰国。

作者和记者mariane的明珠-法国是公认的写作对妇女工作的人，为改变自己的国家。她还写了一本有关其丈夫去世，华尔街日报记者珀尔。他被绑架并杀害了在巴基斯坦，在2000两。演员和活动家安杰利娜陈述奖，她扮演mariane明珠在电影版的书。


另一个赢家， kakenya ntaiya的肯尼亚，旅社广为首次青年顾问向联合国人口基金。她不说，女童教育的一个途径，以结束童婚和痛苦的习俗在某些文化中的割性器官的女孩。
她同意遵循这个传统，如果她的父亲让她完成高中学业而不是准备结婚。然后她说服了领导，在她的农村，以帮助送她上大学在美国。 kakenya ntaiya预计将获得教育学博士学位明年。她打算返回肯尼亚建立一所学校，为女孩。

最后的赢家是谢lubna基地qasimi在阿拉伯联合酋长国。在2000四年，她也成为第一位女性被任命为财政部长是在中东地区。现在她领导着一个新成立的外贸部。她亦是商人和工程与信息技术。

这也是该美国之音特别英语发展报告撰写的吉尔苔。