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Working insurence for Asian women
亞洲婦女工作保障
This year, the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women has a new focus: the global economic downturn. Economists say that in financial crises women are of the first to be fired, including for example, those in Africa engaged in exports like the sale of cut flowers to Europe.
今年的聯(lián)合國婦女地位委員會年度會議關(guān)注的新焦點是全球經(jīng)濟衰退。經(jīng)濟學家說,在金融危機時期，女性通常首先被解雇,包括在非洲從事將鮮切花出口到 歐洲的女性等。
Among those attending the meeting in New York are government officials, UN agencies, and non-government organizations. Much of the debate this year centers on the global economic slowdown.
會議在紐約舉行,參加會議的有政府官員、聯(lián)合國機構(gòu)以及非 政府組織。今年的討論大部分集中在全球經(jīng)濟衰退問題上。
Across Asia women are bearing the brunt of the global economic downturn as export manufacturers shed workers. The United Nation’s International Labor Organization and labor rights groups say Asian governments need to boost social protection programs for women and workers vulnerable to the global recession.
由于制造出口產(chǎn)品的企業(yè)紛紛裁員,亞洲各地女性承受全球經(jīng) 濟危機的沖擊尤其嚴重。聯(lián)合國國際勞工組織和勞工權(quán)益組織說，亞洲各國政府需要加強社會保障項目，向經(jīng)濟衰退中處于弱勢的工人群體和婦女提供保障。
Asia’s export-driven growth over the past 30 years has drawn millions of women into the work force, making consumer goods for the world. The work lifted families out of poverty and gave women greater independence and opportunities.
近30年來,外貿(mào)出口引領(lǐng)了亞洲的經(jīng)濟增長,數(shù)百萬婦女加入了出口企業(yè)的勞動大軍,為全世界生產(chǎn)消費品。她們的工作使家庭免于貧困,讓她們更加獨立,并陚予她們更多的機會。
Now the global economic downturn means tens of thousands of women are losing their jobs, as slow demand forces factories making everything from clothes to electronics to shut down.
由于全球經(jīng)濟衰退的到來，需求戚少迫使制衣廠、電子廠等各類制造業(yè)工廠紛紛倒閉，數(shù)以萬計的婦女正在失去工作。
Kee Beom Kim, an economist with the United Nation's International Labour Organization, says women in export industries the region are especially vulnerable to the current economic climate. Kim says the consequences are wide ranging.
聯(lián)合國國際勞工組織的經(jīng)濟學家金基范(音)說，亞洲外貿(mào)企業(yè)的女工是目前經(jīng)濟環(huán)境下最容易受到?jīng)_擊的一個群體,而且其影響是廣泛的。
“They have lost their jobs and without a job, in some cases for those who are poor their food and their health consumption decrease; we see that children are being withdrawn from school，” said Kim. “In the garment industries reduced working hours basically means less take home pay of course a detrimental effect on consumption.”
“她們失去了工作。對那些貧困人口來說,沒有工作,她們在食品和醫(yī)療方面的消費都在減少。我們看到孩子們被迫退學.在制衣廠，工時減少意味著能拿回家的錢也在減少——當然，這不利于促進消費。”
China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia are some of the countries where exports account for a large proportion of national output. A slowdown in foreign investment and a decline in remittances from overseas workers worsen the poor economic climate for women workers.
在中國、新加坡、馬來西亞、泰國和柬埔寨等國,外貿(mào)出口在國家工業(yè)產(chǎn)出中占據(jù)很大的比例。外國投資的減緩以及在海外工作的家人的匯款的減少更是讓這些女工的經(jīng)濟情況雪上加霜。
The ILO warns that unemployment across the Asia-Pacific region could rise by over 25 million this year, to more than 110 million across the region. '
國際勞工組織瞀告說,亞洲和太平洋地區(qū)今年的失業(yè)人口將增加2500萬人以上，整個地區(qū)的失業(yè)人口因此將超過1.1億人。
United Nations data show the region accounts for around two-third of the world's total employment, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Bangladesh, Japan and Pakistan make up flae bulk of that work force.
聯(lián)合國的數(shù)據(jù)顯示,亞太地區(qū)就業(yè)人口占全球就業(yè)人口的2/3,其中絕大部分來自中國、印度、印度尼西亞、俄羅斯、孟加拉國、日本和巴基斯坦。
Lucia Victor Jayaseelan, executive coordinator with the Committee for Asian Women, says in Cambodia she recently met women from the hard-hit garment industry, who face uncertain futures.
亞洲婦女委員會的總協(xié)調(diào)員盧西亞維克多賈亞辛蘭表示，她最近在柬埔寨見到了一些受到經(jīng)濟危機沖擊的制衣廠的女工，她們的未來是個未知數(shù)。
“They were working without pay because feey couldn’t go home，” said Jayaseelan. “And they were so used to working and hoping and believing that the industries, the factories would be giving them some money at some point. Three months no salary; which meant they had to live, pay their rent, school for their children, remit money back to rural areas—all that went.”
因為不能回家,即使沒有報酬她們也一直在工作。她們已經(jīng)習慣工作了,她們希望而且相信工廠在某個時間會給她們一些錢的。3個月沒有領(lǐng)到工資,但她們必須生活,必須支付房租，為孩子交學費,往農(nóng)村的家里寄錢等等。”
The ILO and labor rights workers are calling on regional governments to boost social protection programs, especially those that can help women laid off from work. They also say government economic stimulus packages need to focus on building up rural infrastructure that would most benefit women and children.
國際勞工組織和勞工權(quán)益工作者呼吁亞太地區(qū)政府加強社會保障項目，特別是可以幫助失業(yè)女工的項目。他們還說,政府的經(jīng)濟刺激計劃必須以建設(shè)鄉(xiāng)村基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施為主，只有這樣婦女和兒童才會獲得最大的好處。
