2012.8.14 单词 New protection for Nepalese

来源：http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/08/120813_witn_nepal_women.shtml

New protection for Nepalese

Report

Officially almost 60,000 Nepalese women are now working in theMiddle East but the unofficial estimate is closer to 200,000. Many ofthem are under 30 years old and will be directly affected by the newban. 

The government's been under growing pressure to do more toprotect its workers. Women employed in the informal sector as partof a household are very vulnerable. Nepal's Embassies in the region say they deal with numerous cases of alleged physical or sexualabuse, as well as complaints about unpaid wages and terribleconditions. 

Many run safe houses to support women who flee their employer'shomes. It's only 18 months since the government ended a 12-yearban on all women workers to the Gulf. That was imposed after ayoung woman working in Kuwait committed suicide. Now they'readopting this partial ban in the hope that older women might be lessat risk. Nepal has a high unemployment rate and the government istrying to strike a balance between protection and allowing womento pursue opportunities. 

Other countries face the same dilemma. Two months ago, Kenyabanned its citizens from working in the Middle East because, it said,increasing numbers were being mistreated. Last year, Indonesiaintroduced a ban on women working as maids in the region. Thatfollowed numerous cases of abuse and the execution of anIndonesian maid who was accused of killing her former employer.

Vocabulary

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growing pressure

increasing force

vulnerable

exposed to being hurt physically or emotionally

alleged

unproven

safe houses

buildings in a secret location used to keep people who are in danger

imposed

put in place without any choice

strike a balance

find a compromise

to pursue

to follow

dilemma

difficult sutuation